Becoming A Legend
by Archer83
Summary: Set during the second season of LOK, and after BDM and the Leaves On The Wind graphic novel, life for Korra gets complicated in a hurry when she successfully opens the Spirit Portal, only to land herself in the Verse. The one thing going for her? Turns out Aang already shanghaied a certain Reader and her dysfunctional crew mates into providing her a good home. AU Verse all around.
1. An Unexpected Bend In The Road

**Becoming A Legend**

**by: Archer83 and Vergil1989 the Crossover King**

**Summary: **Set during the second season of LOK, and after BDM and the Leaves On The Wind graphic novel in the Firefly verse, life for Korra gets complicated in a hurry when she successfully opens the Spirit Portal, only to land herself in the Verse. The one thing going for her? Turns out Aang already shanghaied a certain Reader and her dysfunctional crewmates into providing her a home.

**Disclaimer: **Neither author owns the awesome fictional worlds of Firefly / Serenity or The Legend Of Korra.

**Authors Notes: **_**Vergil1989**_**:** _I really hate Archer for this one. He got me addicted to the Legend of Korra a few days ago, and I finished up to Season 2 in two whole days. Thanks a lot you gorram moonbrained jerk! Remind me to blood bend your sorry pi gu into the next eon. They'll need a very small box after I'm done with you._

_**Archer83: **__Hey Vergil, would you kindly remind me who insisted on doing a Firefly / Korra crossover again?_

_**Vergil1989:**_ _That was you! I have the PMs to prove it! You were the one that said Korra had the Firefly esk humor/twang to it, and that's how all this got started lol. Before I knew it, I was watching TLOK, and rooting for Team Avatar as they went up against Amon, while taking brief breaks to come up with crazy ideas that would possibly fit into this. For YOUR story I might add. So deal with it!_

_**Archer83: **__Oh. Right. Let the epic western-asian-sci-fi-space opera commence!_

_**Vergil1989:**_ '_Bout gorram time. Was startin' to wonder if you'd ever shut up. In all seriousness, Archer might have come up with the basic idea of combining these two tales, but I was the one that added more by throwing in the new comic called Leaves on the Wind. So if it isn't quite as you expect, I apologize in advance, but this is what we were able to come up with what information we had available at the time. Suffice to say, this story will be heavily AU going forward._

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Bend In The Road **

Reaching towards the sheet of ice she was suspended above, Korra ignored the dark tendrils ensnaring her, all her focus on stretching towards it's glowing surface as her fingertips brushed the ice that separated her and the portal she was determined to open. When brute strength failed her, she pulled out her last trick as she fell inward, and opened her eyes just as they began to glow a brilliant white. Her Avatar State had yet to fail her, and it didn't now as she channeled the power given to her by her ancestors, by finding a measure of peace she normally lacked.

The tendrils that had wrapped around her were shredded by the power radiating off of her, and her hand fell flat against the surface of the ice. The moment it did, the ice cracked and shattered as a wave of golden light filled the ice cavern, swallowing everything in its brilliance. That was when her day didn't go as planned as the next moment she could see clearly, Korra realized she wasn't in the cavern any longer. She wasn't even on the ground. To make matters worse, there wasn't a trace of so much as a snow drift, the ground that was rushing up to meet her was instead sand and dirt, dotted with small, ramshackle corrugated metal huts. One of which she was about to meet head first if she didn't act quickly.

"Well this isn't completely insane! Need to slow down before I'm roadkill!" Korra shouted to herself as she tumbled head over heels, finally able to slow her descent by desperately grabbing at a clothesline on her way down. Using it to run along a wall as far as the line would allow her, she bounced off of a vendor's cloth awning before she finally came to a graceless stop, face planting into the dirt with a grunt of pain. Rolling onto her back in the middle of a dusty dirt road, Korra took several long moments to get her breath back and try to get the world to stop spinning on its axis, with her as its center spoke. With a groan, she peeled herself off the ground, her right hand on the middle of her back, and was relieved that other than some bruises, along with what distinctly felt like a sprained wrist, she was alright. It could have been far worse.

Slamming her good fist into the dirt in a futile gesture, Korra stumbled to her feet, astonished to see that the people going by their daily routines seemed completely unphased by her extraordinary plight. "Hello?! Little Help?" Aside from a few glares and curious glances by passersby, she was utterly ignored. With a short cry of frustration, Korra stood to her feet and threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "This is just great! First the spirits go crazy and try to kill me, and now this. So much for Uncle Unalaq's advice. He certainly didn't mention this part. At least I got it opened, so there's that I guess." Whatever else had occurred, Korra was certain she had succeeded in achieving what she had set out to do on her uncle's orders. Her training in that regard had paid off at least, but something had obviously gone wrong as she took another, slower, look around her, taking a moment to properly survey her surroundings this time.

None of the buildings, let alone the various people she could see milling about, were like anything she'd seen before. She was pretty sure Republic City would have had to fall into decay for a few hundred years to resemble anything close to the ramshackle buildings and small huts that were around her at present, and that wasn't saying anything kind about the dirt streaked people running around. Something told her she was a lot farther from home than she knew, especially when Korra's large blue eyes fell on something passing overhead. "_That_ is not an airship." Was all she could think to say as a ship of some kind flew across the sky, engines screaming like some monster from one of the old stories she had grown up on regarding her Avatar ancestors.

"Gorram reckless chwen joo! Ya damn near tore ma roof up!" A strong arm fell on her shoulder before she spun around to see a frowning man with tattered clothes and an unkempt beard glaring down at her.

"Um, yeah, sorry about that. And I'm fine, in case you were curious... Just dropped into town." Korra doubted that the grizzled looking vender would believe the truth, she didn't even believe it. _Maybe I just smacked my head on the ice... that would make a lot more sense than... this._

"Damn fool." He spat, shaking his head in annoyance as he walked back to his stall. "You lookin' to buy somethin'? Otherwise, quit standing in front of my stall girlie. Gorram tourists."

"Well excuse me." Korra muttered to herself before walking away. The guy reminded her of the meat vendor she and Naga had ran into not five minutes in Republic City. That crotchety woman had been just as rude, and hadn't made it any secret she was only interested in paying customers. Shrugging out of her heavy fur coat, which had thankfully saved her from breaking something during her impromptu plummet, Korra got five paces before she paused and turned back to the frowning man. "Um, I don't suppose you could tell me where I am?" She asked, throwing her coat over her left shoulder since she had no intention of leaving it behind.

"You sure you didn't hit your head on the way down? Just what I need, _another _moonbrain girl asking stupid questions. Let me guess, you didn't pay up so the captain tossed you overboard?" The way he eyed her body from head to toe wasn't exactly subtle, and it made Korra's skin crawl. "Stowaway, dangerous way to travel round these parts. Can't imagine why you didn't come to another arrangement, pretty young thing such as yer self." The borderline lecherous glare he threw her way had Korra gritting her teeth, but before she could protest, the man waved her off. "Guess you ain't the type to be a cap'n's doxy. No business of mine anyway. You're on Persephone girl, Eavesdown Docks, also known as the ass crack of the Verse. Now git before I beat ya for almost givin' me a ruttin' heart attack." The grizzled, foul mouthed shopkeeper picked up a long rod laying next to various rusting parts on display and whacked it against his meaty palm for emphasis.

"Fine. I'm going. Thanks for nothing." She muttered, sighing as she rubbed a hand through her long, chestnut brown hair, and started forward. This wasn't how she had envisioned her day going at all. She hadn't been afraid of the perverted old shop keeper by any means, but she figured it was better she kept a low profile until she knew just how much trouble she had gotten herself into before starting any herself.

It wasn't supposed to be this way though! Just open the portal to the Spirit World, start a big light show, and her uncle would probably teach her whatever Tenzin hadn't been willing to. No where in there had she expected to get dumped into the middle of some unfamiliar hovel.

The fantastical ships that continued flying overhead weren't exactly a plus. They only served to further unnerve her, providing damning evidence that she was most definitely not in Southern Water Tribe territory anymore She wasn't even sure she was on the same planet anymore. "Too bad Bolin isn't stuck here with me, he'd be screaming like a little girl at the sight of them." Korra mused as she took in the run down market and its equally depressing clientele. She visibly grimaced when she passed a group of scantily clad women, of which more than a few of them were giving her less than subtle, suggestive glances. "Definitely _not _interested."

One of the women smirked at her, and gave Korra a playful wink. "Your loss honey."

"I think I'll live." With that Korra ran down a random side alley, in the hopes of putting some distance between herself and the less than reputable women that had tried to proposition her. There was a greater chance of her learning how to fly without wings before she'd even consider getting entangled with someone like that. Walking aimlessly down yet another filthy street, her thoughts were interrupted when a grinning man wearing an odd hat stepped out of a nearby alleyway. "Hey there. Let me guess, new in town? Easy to get lost down here."

She was immediately on her guard, she had been around enough thugs in her life to recognize that there was something unnerving in his brown gaze. Her senses only heightened when three more came out of another alleyway behind her. Dropping into a defensive stance, Korra made sure to keep her eyes on all four as she slowly started to back away with her fists raised. "I'm not looking for any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all darling." The reassuring grin he had plastered on his face slipped away, his grey eyes taking on an all too familiar predatory gleam. "Bit overdressed for summer ain't ya?" He slowly took in every inch of her winter gear, smirking when his gaze reached her bare arms and her skin tight light blue tunic, her jacket now tied around her waist. "Nice outfit though, seems a little too clean for this little slice of town. Clean outfit like that, means you likely came from one of those nice families, and just happened to get lost all the way down here."

"Enough with the sweet talk boss. Let's just bind her fine lookin' pi gu up and hand her over to Badger. Figure he'd pay a pretty penny since his last batch of girls got snatched by the Feds." One of the three grumbled, and produced a length of rope from somewhere in his dirty gray vest.

"Fine idea there Gil, but I figure we deserve a little somethin' extra boys. I say, why let Badger's folk have all the fun? I'm sure she can't be that tough, lone girl like her, all civil like, and four fine gents like us to give her some schoolin' in the way of the Verse."

Korra had heard enough as she took a more offensive posture and stopped backing off. The leader and his men had said the wrong thing, and they were about to pay for it. Her voice took on a menacing tone, ready to back up her words with action. "You know, I was going to walk away. But then I figure you'll just find another girl to 'educate'. Well guess what ugly, you won't get a second chance."

The men behind her started to laugh, as one with several missing teeth and a nasty scar down the right side of his face gave her a disgusting smile. "Got us a stubborn little philly boys."

"I like a girl with spirit, more fun that way. Grab her!" That needed no translation, much to Korra's revulsion as the four started to slowly close in on her. They were clearly planning to enjoy this.

"Grab this!" She snapped back, before spinning on the trio advancing on her, landing a kick across one man's jaw before she flung her arms to summon a stream of fire, encouraging these 'fine gents' to run for their lives. Not that she planned on letting them get far. Instead of a ferocious barrage of flame however, she blinked dumbly when not even a wisp of smoke appeared between her hands. "No….not again." She whispered, stunned into immobility at the realization she couldn't bend the elements for the second time in her life.

"You're gonna pay for that you little whore..." Wiping the blood from his now nearly toothless mouth her scarred assailant charged at her with his buddies not two steps behind.

Two powerful arms suddenly locked around her waist, pinning her own to her sides. Reacting on instinct, Korra smashed the back of her head into the leader's face, who had snuck up behind her while his pals provided a distraction. Even as he let out a yelp of surprised pain, Korra kicked out with both legs, her boots smashing into the chest and groin of 'Gil' and the other, younger man next to him. She barely paid them a second glance as she yanked the rope from Gil's grasp and tied it around his outstretched hand before flipping him over her body, with his arm as the lever. When he smashed into the dirt, the distinctive sound of bone breaking was soon drowned out by his scream of agony.

Korra spun like a top, her right knee leading as it slammed into the stomach of the scarred man she had kicked in the jaw before she rolled over his back when he bent forward from the blow. Their boss made the mistake of hitting one of his stumbling companions in the head as his fist flashed past her, and Korra was ready for him. Alone and outmatched, he tried to run, but Korra ran him down, and threw him head over her heels into the nearest solid object. With a satisfying THUD, he slid down the brick wall and slumped in the dirt.

"Barely a workout." Korra huffed, and looked at her hands in puzzlement and more than a little horror. This was far from the first time something like this had happened to her. "Why can't I bend? I didn't get blocked…. It certainly wasn't Amon, unless he's haunting me." She shivered as her mind drifted back to the confrontation with Amon, the leader of a group that had called themselves Equalists, on how he had taken her powers from her. And then an even more spine chilling thought occurred to her. "Maybe whatever Aang and the other Avatars did to heal me and unlock my Avatar State wore off..."

If that were the case, she was no longer the Avatar, and that was one possibility she wasn't prepared to face again, especially now. In the middle of some hick town, who knew where, filled with less than virtuous citizens. Korra took a steadying breath though and clenched her hand into a tight fist, remembering the last time she had been this powerless and she had come out the other end alright. Master Aang and the rest of the Avatar ancestors hadn't abandoned her then, they wouldn't leave her now. "No….I can't give up, not yet. Not until there's truly no hope left."

"Lost girl wonders about her worth, instead of more important things. Like food... and watching her back." Korra hadn't heard her approach, only that when she spun around, her fists raised for a second fight of the day in as many minutes, her blue eyes fell on a petite, slender dark haired girl that couldn't have been older than she was. To make matters worse, there was something odd about her, something truly unnerving in her gaze. Korra was certain she was dangerous, blood bending levels of dangerous, despite her harmless outward appearance, though she had no proof to support what her finely honed instincts were screaming at her.

"You have my attention. Who are you?" Korra asked, trying to determine if this girl was a threat to her well being or not. Despite what her instincts said about the girl, she didn't think she was a danger to herself in particular. Just dangerous, but not like the thugs that had attacked her.

Cocking her head to the side with a subtle grin, the dark haired girl gestured to the unconscious man slumped against the now blood stained brick wall Korra had thrown him into. "My name is one that could get you into trouble, more than you're prepared to handle. Some advice? Best not to beat on every gang you meet. Dumb beasts they might be, but the herd is large."

"Barely broke a sweat. I think I can handle a few more morons who don't know when to walk away." Korra narrowed her blue eyes in irritation. "And you didn't answer my question."

"A guide, someone needs to keep you from being disappeared, or worse." She said simply, before nodding to the thugs behind her. "An easy fight against thugs that bit off more than they could chew, you barely exert yourself. Not a good test of skill. I could have done that with my eyes shut. I might try it actually."

Korra frowned when the girl smiled and did just that, only to notice one of the men who had attacked her, the younger boy she had nailed in the groin, limping up behind her with a knife. Before she could shout a warning, the dark haired girl spun around, her foot leading, and sent the young man spinning to the ground where he remained face first in the dirt.

Unphased, she continued speaking to Korra as if nothing had happened. "But against organized criminals and the soldiers of this world and every other? That would be a different and rather inglorious tale, Korra of the Southern Water Tribes." The girl rolled her eyes as her face scrunched up into an almost comical pout. "Fine. _Avatar_ Korra, no need to get in a huff. Your Master Aang is quite persistent. Twinkletoes' beard is rather silly, no one must have told him how ridiculous it looks. To his face at least."

Korra had stopped listening at that point since she was too shocked by the idea some random stranger could see what she couldn't without centering herself first. Not only that, but this strange girl knew things no one outside of her world should have known about. "How?! What _are _you?!" Without even thinking, she had instinctively taken a few steps back from her self proclaimed 'guide' and dropped into a fighting stance yet again.

The girl merely rolled her large brown eyes, shrugged, and started walking away from Korra. "If you wish to know, you'll be wise to follow. But I _am _a friend, Avatar Korra. That is not in question."

Korra wasn't so easily convinced. "I get attacked and you suddenly appear, claiming to somehow be able to talk to spirits belonging to my family and their legacy. You know things about me no one else should, and you expect me to believe you?"

"Yes." The dark haired girl said without breaking her leisurely stride.

"Arrogant much?" Korra deadpanned in reply.

"No more than you are. Mostly." This Korra noticed was said with a tinge of humor in her otherwise eerily soft voice.

Korra had had enough as she crossed her arms and childishly stomped her foot while staring daggers at the back of her companion's head. "I'm not following you anywhere until you-"

"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change. Aang says you were standing on a cliff of ice when he said that to you before restoring your Bending after the masked man took it away. Also 'stop acting like a stubborn polar bear dog pup.' One of your earlier ancestors said that, in case you were curious. Keishi, I like her." That got Korra to shut up and stare dumbly at the dark haired girl. An advantage she planned to use to its fullest. "Aang told me to help you. Didn't want to see you get gut shot or flattened by a 'mule' within an hour of arrival to this space-time continuum. Find it curious that your existence proves the multidimensional theory. You should be honored. Maybe we'll get you a sign. First dimensional traveler to bounce off an awning on entry." The very strange girl said in sing song voice, only adding to the creepy vibe that she positively radiated.

"You are a very strange crazy person." Korra said at last, recovering some measure of her composure after the revelation this kid wasn't as crazy, or as delusional, as she might have originally assumed. "But you might just be helpful after all."

"I get that a lot. More than you could guess." There was a strange, almost sorrowful tone to her voice as the dark haired girl started away, with Korra reluctantly following in her wake. With no other prospects, she didn't have much choice in the matter.

"So ah... I don't suppose Aang told you why I'm, ah, _here_?" Korra asked, hoping she might have some answers for her. After hearing the same words Aang had shared with her on that cliff, Korra was willing to listen to this strange girl.

"He tends to be needlessly vague, like all of his Avatar kin folk. Highly annoying family trait. He simply described it as 'much needed training'. Before you ask your next question, I don't know when or _if _you will recover your elemental abilities. Odd, defying the laws of physics and nature is _not _allowed. Besides, you don't want to set the buildings on fire or make the street crumble. Freezing people in solid ice must be fun. All tend to get noticed by the Law. That is attention you _don't_ want."

Korra had only heard so much of the dark haired girl's ramblings before she stopped and shouted, "What do you mean you don't know?!"

Again the dark haired girl didn't break her stride as she looked over her shoulder, an amused little smile on her face. "You really need to stop doing that, people will think you're a boob, well, more of one."

"You're not helping." Korra groaned, briefly curious as to how River could seemingly dance through the bustling crowd while she had trouble just barreling through the packed street they had come up on.

As she picked up the pace, Korra was forced to jog after her as they quickly left the markets behind. "Calm down and you might find a few answers to your mountainous pile of inquiries"

"I don't do calm well." The Avatar shot back.

"Didn't need Aang to tell me that." Her mind numbingly obtuse guide chuckled to herself.

"Oh yeah, what else did he tell you oh wise one?" Korra growled, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

The girl spun on a dime, a confused look on her face as Korra stumbled backwards to avoid slamming into her. "You burned the training house down when you were supposed to be practicing 'water bending' and used fire instead in your enthusiasm. Illogical, how does one bend water? It cannot be compressed."

Korra groaned and sighed heavily in response. "I get the point already. You somehow have a link to the Spirit World."

"In a manner of speaking." The dark haired girl said with a shrug. "Maybe I'm just a good listener."

"_Right_. So let me get this straight, Aang told you to help me... and you just trusted him, this mystical voice in your head?" Korra found it hard to believe that someone would be willing to trust a voice in their head, instead of, oh say, checking themselves into the closest hospital.

"He's more than a disembodied voice." She emphasized this by looking past Korra's shoulder, before directing her gaze on her directly. "And you make it sound so simple, but nothing worth doing is ever so easy." With another shrug, the girl continued on when Korra shot her a disbelieving glare. "He wouldn't shut up until I promised to help you... First contacted me eighteen days ago, after we rescued a friend. She was wrongfully imprisoned. Made life... _interesting_ after I repeatedly told him he was no more than a frustratingly polite mental delusion. I've had my fill as it is." She added as a quiet afterthought that Korra didn't hear.

"We? Great, I've fallen in with criminals now? Thanks Aang." Korra sighed again and dropped her head in exhaustion. Today was going to be one of those days it seemed, where everything was out to get her and nothing would go right.

"Better us than the people that took our friend. You'll find out soon enough for yourself. Can say this though. You are not in a friendly part of the multiverse. Should have aimed for the 'bunnies and sunshine' continuum instead." A wry grin split her lips as she continued guiding Korra through the ramshackle city. "My friends are the only ones you can trust….except maybe man ape Jayne. Money has a tendency to make him stupid. Try not to kill him when he attempts to extort sexual favors in exchange for not alerting the authorities to your presence."

"Oookay..." Whatever else Korra had to say was forgotten when they left the cramped alleyways and streets behind and soon stood within a bustling square. Dozens of transports, ships, and people were milling about, going to and from the 'docks' that were arrayed in front of them. Korra could only stare in amazement and dumbfoundment as more of the strange ships she had seen earlier flew to and from the area, bringing an equally exotic array of goods with them. The airships from home were small time compared to the number of sky ships she had seen already.

The Avatar was brought back to the present when someone shouted out to them, or rather her eerie guide. "There ya are Little Albatross! Took ya long enough! What in the sphincter of he-llo... and who might this be? Paying passenger by chance? Captain Malcolm Reynolds, it truly is a pleasure to make your fine acquaintance." Korra swiftly tugged her hand back as a ruggedly handsome, brown duster clad captain reached out to grasp it. "Mighty skittish...let me guess, another stray kitten you just _had_ to go and rescue?"

"She's the one we're looking for Captain Buhn Dahn." Her guide retorted, a slightly annoyed gleam filling her brown eyes.

"She's wha-oh, that. Gotcha. Well hell, if that's the case, I take it all those strange disturbances will stop now? Because I would _really_ like to take a shower without worrying about getting frostbite on my naughty bits. As if _that_ ain't creepifyin' enough, Kaylee says we got a gorram ghost haunting the engine room, blowing everythin' about and Jayne almost got his clumsy pi gu scorched off in the hold for no good gorram reason." A thoughtful look crossed the rogue's face before Korra heard him say, "Find it a bit odd that nothin' ever happened around our two tag alongs or Zoe and her new pup. Or Inara for that matter. Huh. Seems we have a mighty selective demonic presence on our hands."

"We won't have to worry about strange things like that happening anymore. So long as we keep her with us." Korra merely crossed her arms and looked down at the dark haired girl next to her.

"Better be sure on that River, took a big enough chance coming down here with the Alliance breathing down our necks. Then there's Badger, gorram yi da tuo da bian will sell us out in a heartbeat if he catches wind of us bein' berthed in town. So…." This he directed to Korra herself, who looked just as annoyed as ever. "Sorry you got dragged into this fine mess Miss Mysterious, but it seems I find myself in a bit of a fix. Apparently, my ship's haunted, and accordin' to my favorite psychotic psychic, we have to take ya along with us to quell angry spirits or some such. And trust me, I _do_ know exactly how moonbrained crazy that sounds. Had a lot of time to ponder how ass backwards bughouse crazy my life has recently become. Seein' as how you're a stranger to this part of town, I figure we're in this together."

"_Uh huh_, and who's to say I'll have any better luck with such a smooth talker like you _Captain..._" Korra leaned over to whisper something to 'River', who replied in turn with a grinning smirk. "...Moron? Huh, it _really_ suits him."

Despite the insult, Reynolds' steely gaze carefully swept over the young woman before him, sizing up her current irritated, and somewhat nervous state. "Got the Persephone warm welcome I take it. Yeah, can't say I blame ya none for being distrustin' of us decent folk if that's the case, but you seem able to handle yourself. You aren't helpless, you got that amazon woman look about ya, even if you are a mite outta your element here darlin'. You strike me as a smart woman though, so let me give ya a piece of free advice. I've come to trust my wily yet still amazingly crazy pilot after a bit of nasty business that would take too long to get into here, and if she says we need ya, then I ain't about to argue. But if you want to go and try your luck out in the Verse by your lonesome, that's your choice. Once that ramp goes up, that's it." Without another word, the man shrugged and turned away, heading for the open ramp of the most ungainly vessel Korra had ever seen in her life.

"He likes you." River helpfully offered as she gestured for Korra to follow.

Korra couldn't help the involuntary shudder that raced along her spine at the sight of the rusty, jury rigged looking behemoth. The best description she could think of was a ship created in a girder factory explosion with two engines bolted on either side half hazardly. "I'm supposed to get on... _that_. It looks like it's gonna fall apart any second! I feel like I need a healing session just from looking at it..."

"Hey! Don't talk 'bout _Serenity _like that!" Someone shouted from behind the departing captain, before a red haired young woman all but ran down the ramp. "You'll hurt her feelings. She might not look like much, but she's sturdy and true. She's gotten us this far. I should know, I keep her together."

"With what? Bubblegum and molten slag?" Korra asked in open disbelief someone would willingly defend such an ugly looking vessel, let alone risk their life in it.

"It's alright Kaylee, she'll learn. Appearances aren't everything." River said before the indignant engineer could say another word, and put a hand on the woman's shoulder before she could try and hit Korra with the heavy duty wrench her hand had gone for on her belt. "Just give her time to adjust to her current situation. Not very technically minded, prefers smashing, bashing, slamming. And the occasional boom for good measure."

"Oh alright River, but she better learn right quick. Calling _Serenity _a piece of junk. The nerve... and I just got her hull all shiny. Fixed the broken port stabilizer too." The short red head tried to give Korra her best glare, but the kind smile pulling at her lips gave her away. "Almost wish I hadn't now. Woulda been fun to see your rude friend blow chunks on lift off."

"Asami could do a better job in her sleep." Korra wisely muttered under her breath as she glanced over the patchwork hull and outboard thrusters once Kaylee had walked away. She sighed and sat down on a crate within the cargo hold despite her protests, the rapid fire events of the last hour quickly catching up to her. Without needing to look up at the slender shadow that fell over her, Korra addressed a calmly staring River. "I do appreciate you coming out to pick me up, whatever your reasons were... River. Interesting name."

"Named for water that never stops moving, always forging a new path. Fitting name for me, even when my choices were taken."

Korra sighed and hugged her arms against her chest. "As hard as it is for me to admit, you were right. I don't think I'd have lasted long out there alone, no matter how strong I am….or was."

River gave her a sympathetic look as she sat down beside the young woman and nodded her head. "Might not have all the answers, but you aren't alone Avatar Korra. Your journey hasn't even started yet, don't give up hope until there is no hope left to give. Hope is everything and anything we have left in these dark days."

"You sound like you've had your share of hardships." Korra said, looking towards the strange dark haired girl next to her in a new light. That wasn't saying much since they had only just met, but that didn't stop Korra from seeing as much etched into the petite girl's face. In the way she carried herself said a great deal as well.

River pondered in silence for a time as Korra managed to find the patience not to nudge her, just to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep with her eyes open. "Take the worst experience of your life, and no, Aang didn't tell me what it was. Fairly certain that would have been a mildly annoying day for me and mine."

"Wow. I guess I can see why Aang sent me here. Your world wouldn't know balance if it slapped it in the face."

"That is an accurate assessment of this Verse. We lost so much when we left Earth That Was behind eons ago. What was left in its place was a shadow, one that has become all encompassing, all consuming. It has taken the form of the ruling government we call the Alliance. They meddle…..they tell people how to think, how to feel, don't walk, don't run. They meddle, and they do it because no one is strong enough to oppose them. Like the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War."

Korra cocked an eyebrow as she started to wonder just how much Aang and his fellow Avatars had shared with this very unique girl. "History lessons from Aang?"

"Something like that." River replied, a small, smug smirk on her face.

"You aren't going to give me a straight answer are you?" Korra huffed, even as she couldn't help giving River an honest smile.

"I have, you just haven't been listening." With that, River stood and walked away, leaving Korra to ponder what she had said, and the confusing, bewildering, world she had literally fallen into.

Not knowing what else to do, she followed River to the threshold of the large ship and promptly sat in a meditative stance, watching the passers by before sighing and finally closing her eyes. She didn't want to spend one more minute on this rusty flying deathtrap than necessary.

_Alright Aang, I'm here. Time to impart some wisdom or at least tell me what's going on... Aang? I know you're there. I hope..._

An amused, bald headed man in red and orange robes appeared beside Korra, and smiled warmly down upon her. Aang was indeed there, and he hadn't abandoned her, far from it. Standing in front of her, the master Avatar sat down in front of her, his own legs underneath him in a similar position before he put his hands on his knees. _It's good to see you're starting to truly master this aspect of your training Korra. As for why you didn't see me sooner, that's easy. You hear but rarely listen Korra. Only when you're ready to listen, when you're facing such a trial as this, do you truly connect with your spiritual self as you are now. No matter how dark things get, you will never be alone, Avatar Korra. You might not have your bending abilities at the moment, but you will regain them in time. That much I can promise you with certainty. The rest will be up to you._

_Only when I'm at my lowest huh?_

_You're learning._

_But why-_

_Why this place? Why now? Why this motley crew, this family? Who you haven't even properly introduced yourself to yet. You will see soon enough Korra, allow the answers to find you, do not seek them out as you would an enemy. Which you tend to do a lot by the way. It got me into a lot of trouble when I was your age. History has a tendency to repeat itself._

Korra managed a weak smile as Aang slowly faded from sight. Maybe he was right. She hadn't even given this place a chance before she had passed judgment on it. Whatever Aang's reasons for dropping her into this mess, she _was_ here for a purpose. All she needed to do now was figure out what it was. Easier said than done in her case.


	2. Bendin' Over Backward For The Back Berth

**Story Theme: Becoming A Legend by John Dreamer**

**Chapter 2: Bendin' Over Backward For The Back-Berth**

"Thanks Aang...helpful as ever." Korra muttered as she pondered her new found plight, or rather 'a learning experience' as Tenzin would no doubt call it.

Sensing someone nearby, Korra wasn't all that surprised when she opened her blue eyes and saw that someone was indeed standing over her. The woman was tall, dark skinned, with curly dark hair, and looked physically imposing to boot. The deep frown on her face wasn't exactly encouraging either, and Korra wondered briefly how she'd fare against her if she needed to defend herself in her current bending-less state.

Something in the woman's deep brown eyes held Korra's attention, even as the older woman crossed her arms and stared down at her. "This ain't a zen garden friend, so I suggest you scoot down aways and get off this ship." She canted her head to one side, as if an annoyingly familiar thought had just occurred to her. "'Less you're paying for passage to our next port 'a call and I wasn't told. Be 'bout right, way things have been goin' lately."

"Sorry. I...just needed a moment to collect my thoughts. I've had a rough day." Korra shrugged, managing to look the picture of down right miserable. It didn't take much effort on her part. "As for getting off this ship, honestly, I don't know what to do."

The woman chuckled, pointing towards Korra's fur lined pants. "Well, see, it's real simple like. You got coin in your pocket, you can meditate out here all day till we cast off." She pointed to the open ramp with one hand while the other tapped at the large holster on her hip for emphasis. "If not, you'll be trying to find a zen like state with my boot up your pi gu if you don't up and leave right quick."

"Not much for compromise are ya?" Korra asked, managing a small smirk at the dark skinned woman standing over her. She sobered though and looked away when she didn't so much as blink. "I would go if I could, but apparently a friend of yours says I have to be here. Dark haired girl, has a _very _creepy vibe about her? River?"

"Oh." The woman's demeanor instantly went from frosty to mildly amused as she grinned down at Korra. "That's our River alright. So I take it you're the one she's been lookin' for. Honestly, I expected someone a little taller, but River hasn't steered us wrong yet. Name's Zoe, and you are?"

"Korra. It's nice to meet you." The Avatar said, perking up a little now that she wasn't being looked at like she had a giant bullseye on her head.

"Don't mention it. You look about as lost as most, more than some. I reckon you'll fit right in before too long. Just try not to kill Jayne, if you can help it." Zoe asked, making it sound more like an order, and managed a small smile as she sat down where River had been sitting not to long ago. "Must say, been tempted to do the deed few times myself."

"I'm starting to wonder how he's still alive. And Jayne? Really? Did his parents hate him or something?" Korra raised an eyebrow in curiosity when Zoe quietly grunted in reply and put a hand on the small of her back. The reason why became apparent when she saw the baby harness resting between her broad shoulders, and the precious bundle she was carrying. Korra waggled her finger in front of the bright eyed child, who giggled in delight, her pale baby blues shining up at her. "What's her name?" Korra quickly held up her palm. "No wait, let me guess. Keiji?"

Zoe chuckled again, and Korra visibly relaxed since she felt like she had already found a friend in this older woman. "No, the beautiful lil darlin' on my back, her name's Emma." Emma giggled and grabbed at Korra's finger, earning a soft smile from the Avatar. "She likes you." Zoe observed, smiling warmly at the sight. "If nothin' else Korra, I could certainly use a babysitter."

"I…. think I can do that." Korra smiled warmly before doing a double take seconds later, jerking her finger away from the entranced child. Not pleased at all with this new development, Emma managed to snatch the retreating limb in her tiny grasp using both hands. "But I just met you!" Korra whispered in a forced upbeat tone, so as not to scare a giggling Emma. "How do you know she'd even be safe with-"

Zoe wasn't so easily deterred as she held up a hand to stop the younger woman's worried tirade in its tracks. "Since you've gotten yourself mixed up with us whether you wanted to or not, let me sum up our merry little band for ya Korra. We have two brainwashed assassins, one of which you already met, River and Iris. I'd keep my distance from Iris for now if I was you. A simple minded but capable gun hand, man we like to call Jayne. Kaylee, our bona fide genius engineer and all around sweet soul. 'Bout the only one here who can make that claim. Then we have Bea, tried to forge a new resistance against the Alliance, didn't work out none too well for her. Our Captain, who I had the honor of serving beside in the War for Independence, well you met him already too. Malcolm Reynolds. Goes by Mal on a good day, Man-who'd-shoot-you-dead on a bad."

"Captain Moron sounds better to me." Korra couldn't tell if the new mother next to her found that more insulting or humorous, probably a bit of both. "River's kick name for him, not mine." She added, just to be on the safe side.

"Yeah, sounds about right. Certainly thought it about him myself, so can't blame her for saying as such." After a moment, Zoe continued on through the list of the crew. "We also got a doctor, Simon, who's on the run for saving his sister, that'd be River, from an Alliance 'school for the gifted'. And a Companion who recently lost her license for associating with us. We're all criminals and runaways here Korra. Well, except for Kaylee, the engineer I mentioned, she's about the only one who doesn't have a record, but I'm sure the Alliance will cook up somethin' nice and forged just for her. They're good at that. Our tax creds hard at work."

"This Alliance sounds like bad news." She hadn't known these people long, but Korra already had a good feeling about them. The more she heard about this Alliance though, the more she didn't trust them as far as she could throw them. If half of what she'd heard was true, then River had been right, she wouldn't have lasted long on her own once she had garnered the wrong attention from the local authorities.

"While you aren't bad news Korra, far as I can see. River vouched for you, and I can tell you're a good kid at heart. Whatever your story is, I have a good feelin' about you. Can't be any worse than ours. Just don't prove me wrong." Korra didn't miss the silent 'or else' Zoe's tone implied.

"Well this is a first. Usually I'm the trouble maker, now I almost feel... boring." Korra wryly replied, and gently pulled her hand away from Emma's small hand.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, if half of what River's told us about you is true, I'd be willin' to bet you'll confound us all with your..." Zoe smirked, waving an arm about and waggling her fingers.

"Yeah….hopefully." Korra whispered and looked away.

River's voice echoed from a nearby speaker, briefly interrupting the tense moment. "Zoe, time to close the ramp. Breathing in vacuum will prove highly difficult to impossible."

"What does she mean?" Korra nervously asked, her blue eyes darting around the worn down hold.

Zoe didn't miss the wide eyed look that fell over the young woman as she pointed to the nearby control panel at the rear of the hold. "Go on, seal 'er up before it gets a mite windy in here." Korra got the hint and got up from her seated position before going to the control panel and pressing the indicated button. Once the younger woman had returned and sat down on the crate next to her, Zoe cocked an eyebrow, and gently nudged her in the side just as the ship lifted off from the dock. Korra couldn't help jumping slightly at the unfamiliar feeling. "What's with the moody pout? Doesn't suit you Korra. I expect to see that soon enough in a few years, don't much need it now."

"It's….complicated." Korra replied, drawing her knees up to her chin before wrapping her arms around them. How would she even begin to explain her current dilemma to someone who had no idea what she'd be talking about?

"Yeah, we all have that excuse down pat, but a kid young as you shouldn't." After a moment of thought, Zoe reconsidered her words. "On the other hand, River might disagree with me. Same with the other assassin we recently picked up. Iris went through the same Hell she did, might have had it worse actually. But she's strong, came out of it better than anyone of us would have."

"And your resistance leader?" Korra asked, genuinely curious.

"I wouldn't bother Bea much now if I was you. Rather see you try and chat up Iris first. She's a mite murderous at the moment. Gettin' your whole crew killed and your ship blown up tends to have that effect on people. Know the feeling, we've lost our fair share of people over the last year, let alone durin' the war. Some were more personal than others…." Zoe's voice trailed off and her brown eyes took on a familiar, distant, thousand yard stare that was full of sorrow.

"I'm sorry." Korra replied, guessing that Zoe had lost someone pretty close to her in that same space of time. "Who was he?" She hesitantly asked, hoping she wasn't crossing a line by prying.

"Hoban Washburne... Wash. " Zoe grinned, the distant look in her brown eyes fading a little as they sat in companionable silence for a moment. "He's- was... Emma's father. My Mister was a good man, one of the few left out here in the Verse. No one could fly better than him."

"Sounds like he was lucky to have you Zoe." Korra replied softly.

"You got it all backwards. _I_ was lucky to have him. Least he gave me something to live for after he was taken from me." This was emphasized when Zoe looked over her shoulder. Emma cooed and waved her hands around when her mother's gaze fell on her. "She might keep me up at night, but she's my guidin' star in the black. Wouldn't have fought so hard to get back to Serenity if not for her."

Korra nodded before suddenly tensing up as she realized Zoe had to be the one River and the others had rescued from some horrible prison. It only cemented her opinion about this crew, this strange assortment of criminals. This _really _odd extended family. Fumbling for something to say to lighten the mood, Korra said the first thing that came to mind. "Um, if you need to rest, or anything really, just let me know. I'm great with kids, just ask my mentor... Oh right, I guess you could just ask River about Tenzin's little rascals since she seems to know a disturbing amount about me..."

Zoe nodded and felt a grin form on her lips again when the conversation turned to River again. "She has that effect on people, knows far too much than's possible by most people's liking. But as I said before, she hasn't steered us wrong yet. As for babysitting Emma, I'll consider it." Zoe's grin faded away though when she spoke again. "I'd worry more about gettin' settled in first Korra. Somethin' tells me our troubles are only just getting started. 'Course us and trouble go way back, best of friends really."

_That didn't sound ominous at all._ Frowning, Korra distracted herself with less calm damaging thoughts. "Um right, speaking of settling in, could I bother you for a mat or-"

"Room's already prepared for ya. You can thank River for givin' us a bit of warnin' before hand." Zoe told her with a knowing smile. "It might not be much, but it's a little better than a mat on the floor. I'll see to gettin' you a few sets of make-do clothes on our way. Might even have to raid Jayne's bunk since you prefer the sleeveless look and all."

Korra glanced down at her muscular arms with a slight blush. "Anything that fits would be great, really."

"I'm grabbin' one of his shirts for you just the same. Wanna see his face when he spots you filling it out better than he does." Zoe replied with a confident nod and a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Trust me, he won't complain none either."

Korra's rosey cheeks darkened at Zoe's positively lascivious wink. "Please tell me he's not as bad as I think he is..."

"Nope." Zoe paused a beat as she helped Korra to her feet. "He's much worse, but he's harmless, mostly."

"_Great_. Don't be surprised if I beat him to a pulp." Korra grumbled, but shot Zoe a small smirk all the same. "Might be a good workout though."

"He might be a dumb greedy ape, but he's a heck of a shot, and loyal in his own conniving way. Saved our bacons more than a few times in the past. That said, my money's on less than day, knocked out for at least five to ten minutes. You make it happen, I'll split the pot with you fifty-fifty." Zoe replied, grinning almost from ear to ear as she led the way out of the cargo hold.

"I'll see what I can do." Korra replied, and shared a light laugh with the older woman. She didn't have to wait long to meet the man named Jayne. Only a few minutes after Zoe had given her a brief tour, minus the bridge and engineering, with a short detour to raid her own and Jayne's quarters for clothing, and showed her to her room. It was a spartan affair with a relatively comfortable single bed against the back wall, with a small dresser next to it.

It was about then a huge, indeed ape looking, man lumbered casually into her room with a lecherous grin plastered all over his face. "Well hi there. Ain't you a fine lookin'-"

With a sigh, Korra bashed the massive, stupidly grinning man in the face, knocking him out cold. "That _was _Jayne right?" Korra asked, knowing the answer to her question. After the thugs in town had jumped her, she was in no mood to deal with more advances of a similar nature.

"Yup." Zoe replied simply, a little surprised at how easily Jayne had gone down after only one punch.

"Good, I wouldn't want to have your doctor angry at me." Korra grumbled, and dusted herself off before turning to Zoe again.

Zoe stared at the young girl for a moment before her laughter filled the small room and the corridor behind her. Emma giggled and waved her small arms around until Zoe calmed down enough to speak. "Oh, honey, trust me, you'll know Simon when you see him. Cleanest one of the crew, and not just because he's a doctor. Man would faint if he got a speck of dirt on him, but he's an excellent healer, better than most I've seen."

Korra couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of guilt as she glanced down at the peacefully sleeping oaf. "Um, should we take him to your medical bay or-"

"Nah, he'll be fine. We'll just leave his ornery behind on the deck, let him sleep it off. Remind me to tell you about the time River kicked his pi gu around, twice in about twenty four hours. You let him off lightly by comparison." Zoe held up a small yellow bundle containing a short stack of paper and loose coins. "And look on the bright side, you're now the proud owner of a hundred and ninety-seven creds and one truly ugly shirt."

"Gee, thanks." Korra scoffed as she wrinkled her nose at the smelly yellow tank top, and equally rank smelling currency, Zoe tossed at her.

"Might want to wash it first." Zoe suggested as she wiped her hands on her pants after handing the items over.

Whether she meant the shirt or the money, Korra wasn't sure. "You read my mind." She appreciated the gesture though, even if the results were less than satisfactory. "So, be bluntly honest with me, exactly how much has River told all of you?" Korra hesitantly asked, almost afraid to find out the answer as she tucked the money in her pocket before neatly folding the shirt and setting it aside.

Zoe nodded her head and crossed her arms again before leaning against the doorway. "Enough to give us an idea of who and _what _you are. You're reckless, arrogant, and have a tendency to charge into danger, but you do all that because of your deeply held beliefs. Which aren't so different from ours, as it happens. The how is a mite more confusin'. Somethin' about being able to Bend the elements? Seems a tad crazier than having a pair of Readers onboard, but that's life out here in the black."

"She didn't happen to mention how I can get my Bending back did she?" Again, Korra had a feeling she knew the answer to her question.

"Well that would be tellin' now, wouldn't it?" Zoe frowned at the less than subtle disappointed expression that got out of Korra. "Didn't say much about you losin' your gifts or how you're supposed to go about reclaiming them. Truly."

Korra sighed, having expected as much, and looked at her hand in frustration before she punched the wall. "This is the second time I've been this..._powerless_." Korra spat the word out like a foul tasting fried fish. "It's not something I know how to handle well…." Again her mind flashed to when Amon had stripped her of her Bending abilities, and Korra tried to suppress her old fears as she looked away quickly, hoping to hide the panic in her blue eyes from the older woman. Showing weakness was something else she didn't handle well.

"Powerless huh? Let me ask you somethin'. Can you punch a man in the face?" Zoe glanced down at a catatonic Jayne with a satifisied smirk. "On second thought, I reckon you can. Can you shoot?" The woman asked, patting at the large, sleek looking weapon on her hip, tucked away in its leather holster.

Korra managed not to lick her lips as she stared, fascinated with the odd weapon. "I've never used a weapon like that before."

"But you know how to hit a target at a distance." Zoe stated, having figured as much, and noticing Korra hadn't denied it.

"Yeah but-"

"Then I don't see what your problem is Korra. You're only powerless if you allow yourself to _think _you are." Zoe pushed away from the doorframe and took a step closer, her voice taking on a noticeable edge that told Korra she'd do well to remember everything she had to say. "The fight ain't over just because you lose your main weapon. If you ain't got a rifle, you use your sidearm, if you ain't got that you use a knife. If you ain't got _that_, you use your hands, your arms, your legs. You do anything you have to to survive. And if you can't do that, you find someone to carry you out of harm's way." Zoe smirked at the unconscious man taking up Korra's floor at that moment. "Jayne makes for a good meat shield if you ever have the need for one."

"I don't know how not to fight, so that shouldn't be a problem." Korra said, remembering some of the fire and determination that had gotten her this far thanks to Zoe's little speech.

"Good to hear. And try not to feel too sorry for yourself kid, think about what you need to do to make it through to tomorrow instead. That's what we all do."

"Living on the raggedy edge huh?" Korra muttered to herself as she took all of two seconds to look over the rest of her accommodations.

Zoe merely stared at Korra for a moment, a knowing grin tugging on her lips. "Smart kid, yeah, we are. And we're barely holding on as it is." What she didn't say, Korra still heard loud and clear. They'd cut her loose if she didn't pull her own weight, and she couldn't blame them for their extreme measures from what she had seen already. Despite whatever mischievous trouble Aang had caused the crew on her behalf along with his Avatar brothers and sisters, Korra was starting to see why she was needed here. It was just like the Hundred Year War that Aang had stopped along with his friends, and these people were somehow at the heart of the impending conflict. She was still putting the pieces together, but that much she knew for sure.

Just as she pondered the fate of these people and how she might fit into it, a handsome, well dressed man walked by, did a double take when he saw Jayne laying on the deck, and quickly dashed into her room. "Why is Jayne drooling on the floor? Usually he at least has the decency to do that in the privacy of his bunk."

"Avatar Korra caused moderate trauma to Jayne Cobb's brain by shoving her lower palm directly into his forehead." Korra jumped for the second time in as many hours when what could only be described as an eerie looking bald girl stepped around the corner right behind the well dressed doctor. The disturbing gaze River had thrown her way was worse somehow, like the bald girl was reaching into her head and picking it apart piece by piece.

Thankfully, Simon's surprised stammering distracted the girl, who could only be Iris given Zoe's description. "Avat- oh, my sister's vision, the one she's been talking about nonstop for the past two and a half weeks. You're her? Huh, I thought you'd be taller, you don't seem all that impressive given her description, but I've learned not to judge a book by its cover."

"A wise choice Doctor Tam. She is far more than either myself or River could ever be." It was only when the girl bowed slightly that Korra saw the hideous scars all along Iris' pale skin at the top of her skull. "Welcome to _Serenity_. I am Iris. My mentor River, you've met. Both River and Simon have been instrumental in helping me recover who I once was."

"No Iris, all the incredible progress you've made in such a short time, you've done that yourself. We only served to encourage you." A beaming Simon replied, clearly taking pride in Iris, who Korra now realized was obviously his patient.

"You still gave me a way out from the madness. From what the Academy scientists had tried to make me become." Iris countered and smiled warmly at the doctor in praise for what he'd done for her.

"Hello Iris, it's very nice to meet you." Korra blurted out, already feeling uncomfortable enough as it was.

Korra didn't need Simon to tell her Iris could see her discomfort as clearly as a neon sign. "I unnerve you. I apologize, but it is what it is Mistress Korra. Just as you cannot help your nature, neither can I help mine. In this, we are the same. Our abilities and our pasts are the only differences between us. Along with my obvious scarring of course." Iris casually gestured to her scarred scalp. "I will leave you to unpack." Iris stated with the barest hint of a smirk as she pointed to the folded clothing Zoe had earlier tossed on the bed and then promptly turned to leave.

"Um, good to know... Nice talking with you." Korra offered, leaning into the corridor, not knowing what else to say. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to give the girl a hug or get as far from her as humanity possible on the relatively small vessel. Only Amon had unnerved her so easily, and it was an experience she wasn't looking forward to repeating even if Iris wasn't trying to kill her, or worse.

"You get used to her after a little while." Simon offered with a conciliatory shrug once Iris wandered off. "I am however, honored to meet you Korra. You probably guessed this but I've heard a lot about you."

Korra felt a sudden involuntary shiver run down her spine, unconsciously hugging her arms to her body once Iris had left. "I kinda gathered that. It's a little weird, having someone tell me they saw me coming long before I actually show up."

"I know the feeling. My sister's always been….gifted, even before... what was done to her and Iris. And many others..." Simon quietly finished as he glanced at the floor and a snoring Jayne.

The silence that pervaded the room could have been cut with a knife as Zoe was the first to break it. "Well, I think it best we drag Jayne outta here and then let Korra get some rest. Girl's gotta be completely exhausted."

It was Simon's turn to blush and look uncomfortable. "Right. I'll talk to you later Korra. Before I forget however, when you get some time, I would appreciate a chance to examine you and make sure you're properly inoculated. Standard procedure on ships like this."

"Alright. I'll stop by later doctor...Simon." Korra promised before watching Simon casually walk away, giving her a curious smile over his shoulder before going after his very strange patient. "He...wasn't bad. Sort of cute actually."

Zoe frowned, clearly not liking that particular line of thought one bit. "He's taken. To our resident engineer in fact."

"_Really_? I find that hard to believe." Korra countered with a roll of her eyes, ignoring the disapproving look on Zoe's face. "But good for her, he seems like a nice guy."

"Heh, I'll be sure to keep that to myself. Wouldn't want to give him a bigger head than he's got already." Zoe shot back, a smirk back on her face as she and Korra dragged Jayne to his feet and into the corridor outside. It was a pretty easy with the younger woman at her side, who was indeed as strong as she looked.

A low groan of pain from between them caught their attention a moment later. "Ah cann feeel ma fface..."

"Oh good, you didn't break his neck after all." Zoe said with a snicker as she helped Korra get Jayne to his feet.

"Wwhaaa?! Sshhh pok ma eeck?!" Jayne slurred, drool running out of his mouth as both women dragged him away between them, his boots dragging across the deck. Zoe went to lay him down but stopped Korra shook her head and nodded towards the small alcove that served as the ship's med bay. Returning the nod, Zoe aided her in getting the mercenary comfortable in the single bed in the small but neatly organized infirmary.

With that done, Korra breathed a sigh of relief and mustered up a small smile for the amazonian woman beside her. "Not exactly what I had in mind for pulling my own weight."

"No, but I'm glad those muscles aren't just for show." Zoe gave Korra's right arm a friendly pat. "Don't worry about our resident gun hand, I'll be sure to have Simon look Jayne over before too long. Looks like River was right though."

"Oh great, what now?" Korra said with a huff, her exasperation easy to see as they walked out of the infirmary.

Zoe put a comforting hand on her shoulder before answering her. "You have a good heart underneath that rough and tumble exterior."

"Was there ever any doubt Zoe?" Zoe and Korra turned, and when the dark skinned woman only smiled, the Avatar figured it was another of the crew she hadn't met yet. Korra was taken aback by the woman's almost ethereal beauty and grace she seemed to radiate as naturally as she had been able to Bend.

"Well, that, and River might have given me some betting advice. Told me Jayne was going to end up in the med bay one way or another. Figured I'd spare him a proper beating this time."

"I learned never to bet against a Reader. But I'll thank you for your compassion towards Jayne since I know he certainly won't." The mysterious woman replied in turn, a coy, playful smile on her full lips as she turned to address Korra next. "You must be what has Captain Reynolds all in a fit. I don't think he's stopped pacing up and down the bridge since you came aboard. Are you perhaps this Avatar Korra we've heard so much about?"

"Yeah I am. You're the Companion aren't you?" Korra asked, somehow managing to keep her voice steady through her amazement. Only Asami could have compared to this woman, and that had been before her father had been arrested for treason against Republic City and its citizens. "Whatever that is."

"Former Companion actually, Inara Serra, it's a pleasure to meet you Korra. I must say, this is the first time meeting someone like you, and I've seen a lot in my extensive travels." Korra had seen a lot in the past couple hours, but something in Inara's abyssal brown gaze had the Avatar entranced as their eyes met. She felt like this woman was seeing her in a way that few people had, and the feeling wasn't unpleasant in the slightest as it had been with River and Iris. As if confirming her suspicions, the next words out of Inara's mouth were, "You've seen your share of trials. We all have, so that at least we have in common. If you ever wish to get away from your troubles for a time, or just talk, you know where to find me Korra. I'd be happy to explain to you in detail what serving others as a Companion entails."

"I, um, ah ... is it hot in here or is it just me?" It was all she could do not to sink into the floor as Korra felt her cheeks become bright red at being read so easily.

At least with Inara, she didn't feel like someone was digging around in her head with a fine tooth comb. The quiet snickers she could hear from Zoe wasn't helping her mortifying embarrassment though. Korra spun around to glare at Emma's rather intimidating mother, but Zoe had already walked away. Being left completely alone with Inara, Korra couldn't stop herself from blushing even harder at the former Companion's genuine, comforting smile.

So when Mal showed up, giving her a jolting tap on the shoulder, Korra couldn't have been happier to see the low life rogue. "Sheesh Inara, you got the girl lookin' like a rosy cheeked bride on her weddin' night without even a few shots of liquid courage. Inara tends to have that effect on people darlin'. Don't you go stealin' my girl now though, you hear?" Despite the mildly threatening yet amused tone in his voice, Malcolm was all smiles the second he saw his beet red passenger. "Well ain't this a sight. Didn't strike me as the type to be struck speechless at the drop of a shiny penny."

The captain's smug comment had Korra forgetting her mortified embarrassment as she rounded on Mal, her blue eyes flaring with anger at the drop of a hat. "Excuse me?! I am _not _some starry eyed-"

"Coulda fooled me." Malcolm retorted, practically grinning as he started to all but swagger down the hall.

Korra winced as she pressed the back of her hand to her brow, pulling it away immediately when she saw the slightest smile on Inara's full inviting lips. "I-I just need some air."

"Oh I highly doubt that particular simmerin' feelin' down below is life support related darlin'." Mal turned to snark back at her, the expression on his face clearly stating, 'Am I the luckiest man in the Verse or what?'

"Enough Mal." Inara retorted, a warning note in her voice that had Mal's grin fading slightly.

"Yes ma'am. But this whole conversation does raise an interestin' point your Avatarness." Mal lost all trace of his grin as he stopped and waited for his newest guest to catch up. "I figure Zoe's clued ya in, but life out here for us brigands ain't exactly easy. I reckon we'll give ya a few days, get settled in. But 'fore too long, might need your kindly assistance on a job, and you don't look like the helpless satin sheets type like our resident doc. He keeps his place by patchin' up my crew, which leaves me in an interestin' place with you." Mal stared at the sweating girl for a moment before crossing his arms. "Just gonna ask ya all blunt like, 'cause I ain't one to waste my time. What are you good at and what can ya offer my ship and her crew?"

"I knocked out Jayne with one punch? ...Only because Zoe paid me to." Korra blurted out before slamming a hand over her mouth. _Way to go stupid!_

"Huh." Mal gave her an approving smirk. "You don't say? Even River had to use a can of motor oil to do that. And she was hangin' from the ceiling at the time. Still, I'm starting to think you might just fit in after all Miss. Already learned the second rule of livin' on this boat. You do the job, you get paid."

"Great. I'm stuck on a flying junk pile with a bunch of fugitives. Tenzin would just love this." Korra quietly muttered to herself before staring Mal in the eye, her hands on her hips in an openly annoyed stance. "So what's the first rule? Beware being crushed by the big bad Captain's inflated ego?"

That harsh response got a cold, almost menacing glare from Mal as he stopped and turned to look at her. "Food doesn't appear outta thin air here kid. Fuel ain't cheap, air you're taking so much delight in breathin' right now ain't neither. So we take what few jobs we can get, and most of 'em ain't exactly legal. If you're too good for walking on the edge of the law, which gleefully created such fine freakified folk as River and Iris, then you can gorram find your own way. I'd give ya a week before you get picked off by Reavers, some of the local thugs grab ya, or the Alliance gets their purplebelly mitts on you. River might like you, but that don't mean much even if she does say we need ya. If you don't pull your own weight around here, you're in the drift. Whether that happens to be planetside or in the black is just a matter of luck or lack there of." His eerily calm tirade finally ended, Malcolm gave her an almost hurt look. "... And my ego is not nearly that big. Quite the humble sort, most of the time."

"I'd have to agree, it's not very impressive." Inara muttered quietly, just loud enough for Korra to hear her. The Avatar got the impression that hadn't been a compliment, or completely free of innuendo.

"Wow, I'm surprised you have a crew at all with such a thuggish attitude." Korra snapped back, her blue eyes full of indignant rage at this man's cavalier attitude about tossing her out if she didn't prove herself useful.

"Give this Verse a few days. You'll see why I can't afford to be a nice guy." Malcolm stomped off back towards the bridge, only to spin on his heel a second later with a sly grin. "That said, I really am a nice guy, most of the time. Just don't make the mistake of crossing me or my crew darlin'. That don't include you 'less I conjure it does. I put this little group together with the promise of work, which the Alliance makes harder every year. 'Specially now that we might be lookin' at havin' ourselves another fine civil war. So kid, figure you have an easy choice to make, wouldn't you?" Mal turned back to the bridge only to swing back towards Korra yet again. "...And also, every part of me is properly sized... including my cunning mind."

"And you _purposely_ hang around with him...among other things?" Korra asked once Mal had disappeared into another part of the ship, likely the bridge if the direction he had went was anything to go by.

"He _can _be trying Korra, but he is right about one thing." Inara replied as she stared towards the bridge, an amused little smile on her face which quickly disappeared. "Life out here is incredibly hard these days. We do what we must to keep going."

"What the Hell is all this racket?! Can't a woman get some gorram sleep on this rust bucket!" Korra was shoved aside as a clearly inebriated woman shuffled past her down the corridor connecting the bridge to the rest of the ship, a mostly empty bottle of some very foul smelling alcohol clutched in her right hand. "Who's the new girl 'Nara? Might just have to take her back to my cabin and give her a good ol' time."

"Bea, you should really lay down." The former Companion said, subtly grabbing Korra's upper arm before she could say or do anything drastic. Catching a sympathetic look from the older woman, the Avatar only stood there and let Inara handle her. "You've been through a lot in the last few days and I don't think-"

"Why do ya think I have this?!" Bea growled as she shoved the bottle in Inara's face. "Been tryin' to forget….so far it ain't helpin'. Can still imagine what they likely went through….and I wasn't there when I shoulda been. Cap'n goes down with the ship. It's tradition." With a somber nod, she belted back the last of the bottle's contents finishing it in one gulp. "Ah gorram Hell." With a wince, she chucked the bottle behind her, not even noticing as it smashed into a thousand glittering pieces across the deck, Bea stumbled towards the bridge, shouting with every step. "Mal, you got another one of those moonshines layin' around, wait, you're a gorram smuggler, 'course you do!"

"I take it she's the former resistance leader." Korra stated rather than asked, and when Inara only nodded sadly, the Avatar sighed and gently pulled her arm away from the Companion's grasp. "I can't imagine what she's going through right now."

Nor was she all that surprised by what Inara said next. "Be glad you can't Korra. Pain like ours is not easy to overcome."

"Ah sure it is, just gotta drink enough first!" Bea shot over her shoulder before she started to stumble back to the pair.

Having had enough, Inara grabbed the drunk woman by her upper arm next and started to guide her none too gently towards her quarters on the ship with Korra not far behind. "Bea, you've had enough. You should get some rest."

"Right, right. Wouldn't want me drinkin' myself to death on board now would we? Too much paperwork for the doc." In a flash, her inebriated false cheer vanished before her gleaming light brown eyes took on a hard edge. "And who asked you to look out for me anyway?! You ain't my father!"

"No, but he'd be disappointed his only child was doing this to herself." Inara replied softly, her voice taking on a hard edge to match Bea's anger which cooled a little at the reminder. "Maybe you were wrong to believe the stories, but you weren't wrong in what you tried to do Bea. Their deaths aren't your fault."

"Certainly feels that way….." Bea muttered quietly, guilt all but radiating off of her as she stared blankly at her boots.

Korra had remained quiet long enough as she reached out and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "The important thing is, you did your best. I might be new here, but I know what it's like to fight against almost impossible odds. Sometimes you fight for any victory you can get, sometimes you aren't that lucky."

Bea jabbed a finger in the younger girl's face, shoving a stray blue highlighted lock of hair out of her vision. "Don't you lecture me you ruttin' little whelp! And to think I was gonna give you a pity-"

"Let's just get you back to bed." Inara hurriedly insisted as she enlisted Zoe to help her get the woman safely back to her bunk. And likely search for anymore hidden bottles of liquor while they were at it.

"Is she gone?" Malcolm asked, sticking his head out from his veritable cocoon on the bridge.

A smug looking River popped out from behind the pilot's chair. "Do you hear her yelling?"

"Well, she's a good ambusher... Bad habit she got from her dad." Mal retorted, much to River's amusement.

"You served together I take it." Korra stated, having pieced that much together already as she brazenly stepped onto the bridge uninvited.

A split second later, her mouth nearly hit the deck and her eyebrows almost managed to reach the dark brown bangs high above her wide, frightened blue eyes. Korra could only blankly stare at the impossible sight before her in a mix of fascination and pure terror, as she gazed out into the black expanse of twinkling stars outside the bridge windows.

Mal continued on as he sat down in the pilot's chair, unaware that Korra had stopped listening. "Yeah, have a bit of a history with a lotta folk that way."

"She's never been in space before." River flatly stated after she turned back to the controls in front of her co-pilot's seat. "Welcome to the black." She stated softly, a serene smile on her face.

Mal turned and grinned in surprise at that bit of news, and from the bug eyed look on Korra's face, he could see it was all too accurate. "Well hell darlin', guess you're a pioneer for you folks, whatever ya call home anyway. She was a mite tight lipped about your personal life and such, but she told us enough to get an idea 'bout ya. Don't worry none though, ship might not look might much, but my girl hasn't failed me yet. Made her a home after a time, and she's paid me back by keepin' my family safe and- you listenin' darlin', look a little green 'bout the gills..." Mal's eyes widened as a pale, disoriented Korra promptly passed out on her feet and began to slump towards the deck. "...Ah crap." The captain was on his feet and dashing to Korra's side in the space of two breaths, catching her just as she started to keel over. "Easy does it darlin'. Let's get ya sat down." He said before helping her to his formerly occupied chair.

"You owe me a hundred credits." River muttered quietly towards Mal, who shot her a withering look over his shoulder for the reminder. "Put them in Korra's right pants pocket with her other winnings."

Korra snapped back to reality in a heartbeat as rising anger quickly replaced the potent combination of confusion and fear. "You bet on the fact I was going to- nevermind."

"It got you to snap out from the virgin spacer shakes didn't it? One down..." River retorted, a smug smirk on her face. "And call it what it was or don't talk at all. You fainted. Passed out like Jayne on a bender..."

Korra shuddered at the mental image River's pun firmly planted in her mind. "I'm the Avatar, I don't _faint_." Korra growled weakly, still feeling shaky from the revelation she was in space. Such a thought had never once crossed her mind. Of it ever being possible to leave her planet behind, and yet it was apparently an everyday occurrence for these people.

"You passed out on your feet. I'd call that a faint." Mal chimed in, much to Korra's annoyance as he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, his smug smirk back in force. "But can't blame ya none if ya weren't ready for the view. Can be a mite intimidating, someone who's never been off their home world before."

"It's….kinda pretty out there." Korra managed to say as she slowly calmed down and truly saw what they were flying through. It was indeed pitch black and vastly empty, devoid of anything and everything that she was familiar with, but her blue eyes found dozens of small lights in the void. Pinpricks in the blackness, guiding lights that she found comforting in some small way.

"It surely is." Mal quietly conceded with just a hint of awe in his voice, as the three gazed out into the black in companionable silence.


	3. A Bent And Twisted Verse

**Chapter 3: A Bent And Twisted Verse**

Korra had mostly kept to herself over the last few days, mostly only coming out of her room to eat, and to learn what little she was comfortable with about life on a ship. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she was still terrified by the very idea of being surrounded by so much cold, dark and empty space, with only a metal hull and some glass to keep it out. Or rather, to keep their comfortable and safe environment _in_ as Kaylee had gleefully delighted in explaining to her captive, and quite dumbfounded, new guest. Suffice it to say, Korra had shied away from the cheery engineer after that, her mind only able to cope with so many surprises at once. To make it worse, her discomfort hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone, even the reclusive Bea, when she was sober anyway.

Then there were the sleepless nights where she would quietly wander through the ship when she had had enough of staring listlessly at the cracked and peeling metal on the ceiling above her bed. The last few days hadn't been kind to the Avatar. The stress of not knowing what was going on at home, coupled with the many unknowns of what lay before her had woken up bad memories within the deepest recesses of her mind. Which propagated themselves in the form of nightmares that would leave her gasping for breath, a cold sweat chilling her to the bone. The only thing saving her fragile pride was that she never allowed herself to cry out or break down in tears. Showing any more weakness around this odd, morally questionable, crew that had taken her in didn't seem like a very good idea. Fainting on the bridge in front of their captain had been mortifying enough as it was.

As for the nightmares she suffered from, they mostly consisted of the events surrounding her fight against Amon and his Equalists. Of how he had brutally seized control of Republic City. Of how he had been ruthlessly determined in his quest to hunt down those with the ability to Bend the elements to their will. Taking away that same ability, and leaving the victim, to some various degree, hollowed out. As if he had ripped out a piece of their soul along with their ability to Bend.

The old, recurring nightmares had never really left her, but they had come back in full force of late. They usually consisted of the man leaving her powerless before he blood bent her into a helpless, begging fetal position. But not before he did the same thing to her friends, her family, even Naga, letting her watch before finally finishing her off too. Korra always woke up from those dreams panting and on the verge of screaming her lungs out, but she hadn't yet, and she was determined to keep some semblance of dignity even with her heart feeling ready to jump out of her chest. Tonight would probably be no different, and she already knew her sleep would suffer for fear of being forced to relive her darkest inner terrors yet again.

"It seems we're more alike than I would have initially thought." Quietly 'enjoying' the gruel that passed for food onboard, Korra about jumped from her seat, having sat down at the mess table for an early breakfast. Inara had gotten the drop on her, again. One benefit of not being able to sleep soundly since arriving in this strange Verse, she was the first at the table for the scheduled meals the captain and his crew held about the same times every day. She was rethinking that 'brilliant' plan right about now, once again by herself with Inara, ensnared in the woman's compassionate brown eyes.

"Do you enjoy scaring me or is that just part of your charm?" Korra grumbled quietly as she poked at her bowl of slop.

Inara flashed her a smile before she started for the tea pot. Where she kept all of that tea, Korra hadn't been brave enough to ask, but every morning it was the same routine with the Companion. She'd come to the kitchen, make a fresh pot, and go about her day. "Honestly, a little of both. Being caught off guard can be revealing." Inara replied as she went about the small kitchen with her usual grace and practiced ease. She had done this countless times before, Korra was certain of that.

"I suppose you would know." Korra muttered under her breath, grimacing as she forced down another spoonful of her breakfast. That description was being overly generous, but it was either this or starve, as Mal had none too kindly told her when she had dared complain about what passed for food directly to his face. 'Feel free to starve if you like, more for the rest of us.', had been his less than generous advice. Like so many things, it seemed real food was hard to come by out here.

"It'll get easier." Korra looked up, and almost fell out of her chair when she saw Inara had gotten a fair bit closer while her mind had been drifting, the alluring woman's long, dark hair almost brushing against her bare shoulder. "So, why don't you ask me those questions you're just dying to have answered, but are far too polite, or afraid, to." The Companion said, smiling softly in her direction as she sat herself, on Korra's right side.

"I wouldn't know where to start. All this is just so….ugh, crazy sounds about right." Korra sighed, but managed a small smile when Inara handed her another cup of the freshly brewed tea. It was one of the few things she'd dare imbibe while on the 'Firefly-class' transport ship. The water was about the only other thing she'd risk, and only if she didn't have a choice since River had said it was recycled on a regular basis. Recycled from what, she didn't want to know and hadn't dared to ask Kaylee about it. Instead, she focused on the matter at hand, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Just...what is a Companion, Inara? I kinda got the general idea, from what Captain Moron hinted at."

Again Korra saw Inara's lips pull up into a small smile, no doubt guessing what Mal had said on the subject. "To put it simply, a Companion serves a client in whatever way he or she might desire to relieve stress and promote their well being. A good Companion knows instinctively what those needs are, and they try to fulfill them to the best of their abilities. Since I can guess what you're thinking, I'll get straight to the point. There is more to being a Companion than being able to pleasure someone physically, though that is certainly an important skill set. All of us are trained extensively in politics, history, even playing an instrument is part of a Companion's basic education. What it boils down to though is simply listening, and responding accordingly."

"You make it sound like you're a very….hands on spiritual guide." Korra replied, a bit surprised by how much was involved in Inara's line of work. Despite the fact she had admitted to taking her clothes off for most of her clients, the Avatar still found it surprisingly in-depth, what was required to make a good Companion. While Tenzin and Unalaq might disagree, she found it all rather interesting, what Inara had likely done in her time.

"Well, there's more than one way to become one with the spiritual energies around us, not to mention deep inside us... Sometimes you need another to help you achieve that level of bliss." Her tone had sounded innocent, but, Korra was certain Inara had laced every word with more than a few suggestive promises. Something in the Companion's deep, wise gaze said as much.

"Um….right." Korra stammered out, her cheeks beet red yet again. Inara seemed to have that effect on her even when they were having a normal, civil conversation.

"Mornin' 'Nara." Bea grunted, a hand pressed to her forehead as she rummaged in the cupboards without so much as a glance at Korra. "Who gorram moved the bourbon?" She grumbled, before sighing when she came up empty handed. "Let me guess, Jayne hogged it all again?"

"No, River hid it." With a smirk, Inara opened a drawer, and watched as Bea practically jumped over the table to reach her, only to pull out a box of food cubes. "And I have no idea where."

"Ta Ma De Hun Dan!" Bea was clearly less than amused. "Never figured you for the cruel type Nara. You ain't gonna make me suffer, I know ya too well. Where is it?"

"Apparently not well enough. There's a fine line between the occasional buzz, and stumbling around drunk Bea. You cross that line far too often and I'm not the only one that feels that way. River, Simon, Mal, Kaylee, even Jayne's starting to worry. You know it's bad if he's concerned."

"Ha! That Gou Cao De, Ho Tze Duh Pi Gu don't give a crap 'bout me! 'Bout any a' you niether. Hell, probably get em' to hand over a bottle if I go an' drop trou in his bunk."

"Wow, you really are a selfish moron Bea. Not to mention desperate." Korra grumbled as she put her cup down, her narrowing blue eyes solely focused on the raven haired woman. "The crew is worried, and you throw it back in their face by being a stubborn turtle mule? Here's a thought. How about you stop feeling sorry for yourself and make up for the lives you lost?"

Bea could only stare dumbly at the brown haired young upstart, before her hand fell lightning quick to the pistol on her hip. Korra was already up and all but flying over the table, jerking the gun to the side, and knocking it from her hand, sending it sliding across the deck before punching Bea in the throat in the time it took Inara to stand up from her chair in surprise.

Standing over the gasping former resistance leader, Korra crossed her arms and sighed. "I know you're hurting Bea, but what you're doing won't bring them back. It sure won't help your cause, drinking yourself into an early grave. You want to grieve, fine, but find a way to do something about the mess you're in." Sighing, Korra knelt down next to the gasping woman and offered her hand.

Bea glared up at and her, and wincing, slowly grabbed her hand, allowing Korra to pull her to her feet. "Such a cute little moonbrain, think I'll add some charm to that pretty face a' yours!" With a sneer, Bea lashed out with a small blade she had hidden in her boot, only to yelp in pain as Korra spun her around, twisting the taller woman's other arm behind her back.

"Really? And _I'm _the _moonbrain_? Whatever that means. Someone tries to help you and you pull a knife?" Korra grunted and rolled her eyes in annoyance, twisting harder until she heard Bea's knife clatter on the floor. "Now that I have your attention, if you try anything stupid like that again, I can't be held responsible for any painful injures Simon will be busy dealing with." With a final jerk, Korra pushed Bea away after releasing her arm, sending the taller woman tumbling across the mess, and right into Jayne's chest as he walked in right ahead of Zoe and Mal.

"Ah Hell. What'd I miss? Knew I shoulda got up early today." Jayne shook his head as he went to grab himself a mug of coffee. "Not even a finely polished Vera is worth missing a gen-u-ine catfight."

"Wasn't much of a fight, from what I saw of it. Proved my point pretty well though, 'bout you being capable of defendin' yourself. My problem with that is when guns get pulled." Mal said as he picked up her discarded weapon from the deck before turning to frown at Bea. "River hid the booze on my order. We drop you off, the glorious New Resistance can deal with your raggedy hide. Until then, you ain't gettin' another gorram drop that don't consist of nice 'n borin' water or some of Inara's fine tea. Last thing I need's a gorram hole in _Serenity's_ hull. Already used the last patch kit as is. Since we're on the subject though, you feel the need to stir up the snakes, I suggest you bite that urge darlin'."

"And what's to stop me from blowin' you outta the sky the minute we ain't docked no more?" Bea asked, pushing away from Jayne before directing her furious gaze on Mal next.

"Guess I just won't then. Undock that is. Gonna be an odd life, bunched up on some rusty hulk, constantly arguing over where to go next, but I am nothin' if not adaptable." For those that didn't know Malcolm Reynolds, that comment would have seemed innocent. But from the way Inara's face hardened and she took a step back from Bea, Korra had a bad feeling something was brewing behind that goofy grin. Something dangerous and deadly in its own way. "Also helps that your folk ain't makin' the rendezvous like was planned. Just commed us not ten minutes ago. We're takin' ya straight to one of their outposts."

"I think it would be best if we all just took a moment and-" Inara started, but she didn't get a chance to finish as she put a restraining hand on Korra's shoulder. She didn't need the Companion to tell her violence was fast approaching, and it was directed solely on Bea.

"Oh, I already took my moment, had a nice five seconds of pure bliss just 'fore I walked in." Mal's smirk shifted into a cold stare as he bent to pick up Bea's blade as well and strode over to the woman before shoving it and her pistol against her chest. Bea never saw the left handed haymaker coming before it laid her flat on the deck. "I see you drawin' down on any a' my crew again...you'll be findin' yourself takin' a very short walk outside. Dohn-Luh-Mah?" Bea only nodded her head, sprawled out on the deck as she was, not even daring to rub at her jaw before Mal walked away. "Good."

"Hmm, violence seems to be a more efficient means of communication." Iris observed, walking into the mess alongside River, the pair closely followed by a sleepy looking Simon.

"Depends on the person." Korra heard River say before they disappeared down the hall.

Only after Bea had slunk off to a quiet, dark corner of the ship did Korra finally ask the question that was on her mind. Even for a man who didn't seem like the most sociable person to begin with, Mal's already short fuse seemed to be non existent today, and she wanted to know why.

When Korra finally asked, Inara sighed heavily before she stopped and considered how best to explain what was going on. "What do you know, about the War he and Zoe were a part of, Korra?" The Companion asked after several long tense moments of silence.

"Only what Zoe's told me. That she and Mal were in the last big battle on Hera after serving together throughout most of the War, and that the resistance was crushed that day in Serenity Valley. Find it a little weird he'd name his ship after that fight, but I've heard of far stranger things." She replied with a shrug before all but falling into her chair.

"Then you don't know that his home world was one of the first planets to side with the Independents. It was a central world for them, and it was one of the first worlds the Alliance all but destroyed during the war. Now it's a barren waste, no one's able to live there because the Alliance saw fit to poison its atmosphere and bomb its population centers in an effort to quell any resistance."

That certainly got her attention. Korra's blue eyes shot open in shock while her mind struggled to imagine the level of devastation Inara was describing. "What?! Why? Why destroy an entire world just to-"

"Excuse me..." Simon quietly asked as he slipped past Korra, to quickly grab a mug of coffee and walk out of the room as fast as he could without making it look like it. Iris and River watched him go before sharing a plate of rations and quietly seating themselves away from the other women.

"That's the way of this verse, Korra." Inara continued, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "The Alliance understands only extremes. Total obedience is what they expect, and what they usually get. Anything less, any form of defiance whatsoever, is unthinkable to them. It….took me a long time to see them for what they are. I even supported them during the Unification War in my own small way, only to feel all the more a fool when I finally saw just what they were truly capable of. A part of me is glad they took my licence, because then I would still be within their grasp, practicing under their rule."

Korra didn't know what to say in the face of such barbarism. The horrors of Inara's world were starting to make the evils Amon perpetrated seem like a kindness in comparison. To destroy an entire world, it was intolerable, to say the least, unimaginable in it's horrific scope at worst. Korra couldn't believe someone would even consider such an act, regardless of the reason behind it, let alone actually commit it. "No wonder people rebelled. And we're going to this place... Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, if it's as badly poisoned as you say it-" A sudden thought dawned behind Korra's inquisitive blue eyes. "There's a hidden base there...placed where no one would think to look."

Inara smiled and nodded her head when Korra figured out exactly where they were going. "People aren't the only thing that can be healed. The planet is still far from being livable, but yes, there's still places people can hide even on Shadow, which is indeed a shadow of its former beauty. It was an agricultural world before the war. I've seen images from the Cortex before….it was comparable to some of the core worlds in it's natural beauty before it was destroyed. Mal was fortunate to call such a place home while he was growing up."

Korra slumped forward in her chair, looking forlorn at the revelation Inara had dropped on her lap. "And he has to see it as it is now, thanks to Bea. No wonder he's _grumpy_. I'd probably be acting even worse if I was him."

"I certainly wouldn't take anything seemingly cold hearted or even cruel he'll likely say or do personally. Just try to avoid him for now, I'm sure he'll even apologize in his own way later." Inara replied softly, more in an effort to sooth the young woman's nerves than fear of being overheard by the captain.

"Easier said than done, on a ship this small." Korra muttered, but nodded her head all the same.

"Korra! You done muckin' about yet? There's work to be done in the hold!" Mal yelled from down the corridor, clearly on the war path, just as Inara had warned her.

"Duty calls." Korra grunted as she took one last bite from her cold slop before going to see what Mal wanted. Before she left the mess though, she turned and offered Inara a small smile. "Thanks for telling me all this Inara. I'll _try _not to beat him senseless in the meantime. It's the best promise I can make."

"Don't worry, I've had the urge a few times myself." Inara countered, a smirk forming on her full lips as she watched Korra leave. She just hoped the poor girl would come back from Shadow the same way she left, her head held high. Inara doubted it though. Seeing something as horrific as a planet turned to ash wasn't easy to forget.

With a knowing frown that soon found itself turned into a forced cheery smile, Korra jogged to the upper deck of the cargo hold, gracefully sliding down the stair railings feet first before landing near Mal with an exaggerated back flip.

"Done showin' off?" Korra huffed half heartedly at Mal's steely blue glare, crossing her arms, but saying nothing. "Good. 'Cause where we're goin', you gonna want to save those fancy moves, this goes sideways. Chances are slim of that happenin' mind ya, but my luck ain't exactly somethin' I'd call good. More a fickle mistress at the best of times." Korra 'unexpectedly' laughed at Mal's dead serious mutterings, getting a satisfying half grin out of the man. "On that happy notion, might want to grab a suit, air ain't exactly what it used to be." Korra's puzzlement gave way to understanding when Jayne came out of a storage compartment, carrying what looked like an uniform of some kind, completely self contained if her eyes didn't deceive her.

"Amazin' what you can do with some glass and mylar." Jayne mused as he chucked the suit at Korra, quickly followed by a pair of boots and mismatched gloves. "Just don't get yerself dead kid. One tear and you'll be gaspin' in seconds, and then _not_ gaspin' shortly there after."

"You'll do fine." Mal muttered when he took notice of Korra's less than heroic expression. "Just keep your head and you'll come out alright. 'Sides, this is supposed to be a friendly port o' call for us brigands anyway." When he handed her a gun belt and a spare pistol though, what small confidence she had gotten from his little speech vanished.

"That ain't never caused us to drop our guard before sir." Zoe retorted as she helped Jayne and Kaylee remove several large crates from various bolt holes saturating the bulkheads of the ship. Korra hadn't expected to see half as many secret compartments. "Smugglers don't last long, they don't have places to hide their goods." Zoe explained at the incredulous look on the Avatar's face. "You gonna stare, or you gonna help?"

"Yeah….sorry." Korra muttered, set down the suit Jayne had tossed her way, along with the gunbelt, and went to help unload the crates on the waiting transport that they called a 'mule'. Between the four of them, it didn't take long to have the boxes pulled out of their hiding places. Then came the interesting part when it came time to put on the suit.

What followed was a hilarious, to everybody but Korra at least, exercise in futility as she struggled to cinch the odd material over her waist, determined not to ask any of the grinning crew around her for help. Zoe finally took pity on her, save to smirk at her inability to don a space suit, and had her properly dressed and sealed airtight in the snug outfit after a few minutes of muttered curses from Korra.

With a grin, Kaylee pushed a lever on the small transport in the center of the hold as a finally suited Korra leaned closer to examine the vehicle, and jumped back a few feet when the mule started to float on a cushion of what looked like boiling air. "Best be careful round this beat up wreck huh?"

"Would it help if I said I'm sorry for bad mouthing your ship?" Korra asked, feeling a tad claustrophobic within the outfit with her own voice echoing in her head. The last time she had felt this confined was when Torlacc had put her in a coffin like metallic box.

"It'd be a start." Kaylee replied, a mischievous grin on her cheerful face. Hopping off the transport with a skip in her step, the happy go lucky engineer made sure to look over Jayne and Mal's suits with a critical eye before doing the same for Korra. "Not a bad job for your first walk outside. You'll be alright, Cap'n will keep ya safe. Might make ya cry in the process, but can't have everything I suppose."

"Be careful out there ya hear?" Zoe said, staring at Korra first before looking to the rest. "Got a bad feelin' something ain't right."

"Mother's intuition?" Mal asked as he finished suiting up, mildly surprised to see a chastened Bea entering the hold and grabbing her own set of gear.

"Just got a bad feelin' sir." Zoe said with a shrug.

"You say that every time we do a job." Mal countered.

Zoe crossed her arms and stared down at the four of them before saying simply, "And how often am I right?"

Korra shared a look with Mal before the captain cleared his throat. "Movin' on... Bea, get your gorram pi gu in that gear, ain't got all day to wait around. Sooner we're done here sooner we can leave."

"Shut your pie hole Reynolds, reckon I'll be done just a tick slower than you are with 'Nara. Figure minute n' a half and I'll be good to go." True to her word, Bea was dressed and ready to go in no time flat, and had her knife and gun strapped to her suit just as Korra's mental count reached eighty-seven seconds. Glancing at the buckled knife sheath and gun holster on her own belt, Korra's hand was immediately jerked away when she curiously reached for the stranger of the two weapons.

"I'd rather not have you shoot yer own gorram foot off, or breach your suit for that matter. My advice, keep with what you're good at darlin' until we get ya some proper schoolin' in the fine art of gunplay. But, keep it on ya, just in case." Mal said, a sly grin on his face at the uncomfortable grimace he saw behind the helmet's faceplate.

"Right." Korra muttered, and gently jerked her hand away from Mal's grasp before taking a steadying breath when they boarded the odd hovering mule. After everyone else had rapidly departed the cargo hold, the suited quartet headed for the slowly opening ramp. When the door slammed shut behind her a short time later, she just resisted the urge to jump in the back seat next to Bea, who roughly shoved her back on her side of the cramped vehicle. She hardly noticed when they started through the barren wastes that Shadow had become.

The South Pole, where the Southern Water Tribe and a contingent of White Lotus clan guards had set up shop, was a wasteland of ice, snow, and biting wind in the middle of their winter months, but even the ice held some semblance of life for those that knew where to look. While she had been eager to leave it behind, the Southern Water Tribe's home had been beautiful in its own way, especially when the sun hit the ice in just the right way, making the land shimmer and dance with light.

Everywhere around her, she only saw death. In the inky black clouds, which let little sunlight through them, and in the craterous pock marked terrain. In the distance, she could almost make out what might have been a decent sized city once upon a time, now reduced to massive piles of scrap and rubble. The ground itself looked sick, if such a thing were possible, oozing noxious gases and slimy water. It reminded her of a badly infected, pus covered wound. She instinctively knew that if she had even thought about Bending on this rock, she'd have likely died horribly from whatever the Alliance had done to this world. It was one of the few times she was glad she couldn't use her natural abilities.

"Ain't right, seein' a place like this." Jayne muttered, surprising them all to some extent. "What? It's true."

"Have to agree with you. Funniest thing. See that ridge yonder?" Mal asked, nodding his head towards a distant spot of blackened ground. "Family had a ranch up on a ridge like that. Ma raised cattle and horses mostly, along with a couple dozen farm hands. Me? Got bored one day, met a fine city girl. First time, seein' the city up close, got into some trouble, but had a gorram good time despite it all. Damn shame, see it now. Gave me my first kiss when I played merry with the law, got us out of a jam. Old oak tree, sun at our backs, best day of my life. Well, one of 'em anyhow. Doubt it's still standin', acid rain and such probably wore off the carvin' in it long time ago."

Korra couldn't think of anything to say, not that anything would have helped with what Mal was likely going through. There were no words she could say that would bring any measure of comfort. She was starting to understand why Mal was the man he was though, and she forgot her earlier annoyance and frustration with him. Now, she could only picture that happy young boy, lost long ago to the horrors all around her.

Korra lost track of time after that, trying not to think about how twisted this 'verse' was compared to her own, not realizing how far they had traveled until Mal turned around to give her transparent faceplate a playful tap. "We're here. You stay and keep an eye on our ride Jayne. Korra, Bea, you're with me. Figure ya might as well get your feet wet...so to speak." Mal grimaced as he glanced at a bubbling puddle of acidic ooze. "On second thought, best keep your feet dry." Without a word, he led the way to what looked like just another cratered hole in the ground. The small etching on the wall told another story though as they descended into a cavern complex.

With a nod to Bea, she took point, gun drawn. "Few mutants have been found down here. Nothing dangerous, if you're prepared for 'em." Bea explained, warily eyeing their surroundings as she slammed her glove against a bare patch of stone, only for it to pop open a moment later. Tapping at the hidden control panel underneath, a section of the wall slid away, revealing a large airlock that looked eerily similar to the _Serenity's_. "Told you, NR liked you more than was wise by my reckonin'."

"I'm touched. And also very disturbed." Mal dead panned as the three of them crowded into the compartment. It didn't take long for the poisoned air to be cycled out of the chamber, and when it was done, the door in front of them opened up. Korra almost grabbed for the knife on her belt when a dozen guns were jammed in their faces the moment the door pulled up. "This at least I can understand." Mal said with an approving nod to their heavily armed welcoming committee. "Howdy. How ya'll doin' this fine day?"

"It's fine Mills, it's just me." Bea grunted as she pulled her helmet off and shook her short, multicolored raven hair out of her face. "Put the gorram leg irons down already."

"Not a chance in Hell girl. How we know this ain't some trick?" One heavily muscled bald man grunted, his right arm covered in tribal tattoos.

Bea shook her head and sighed. Then promptly kneed her accuser in the groin. "Anyone else have a stupid question?"

The one she called Mills hesitantly raised his non gun hand. "Did ya bring the supplies like you said you was gonna?"

"Most, but it's gettin' gorram close to impossible to lay hands on high end antibiotics these days." Bea explained as she took a step closer to the man, who promptly took a step back, along with the other resistance members. No one was eager to get in the woman's path.

"Shoulda robbed another Alliance hospital." Mal muttered to himself, just loud enough for Korra to hear him. "Long story. Might tell it to ya later. Feel free to mention it to Jayne, just to see the look on his face if nothin' else."

"You robbed a hospital?" Korra asked, torn between being impressed and appalled by the admission.

Mal rolled his blue eyes, showing something other than somber reflection or frustration for the first time in hours. "Did ya not hear the part where it was an _Alliance _ran one?"

"A hospital. That you robbed." Korra reiterated with an irritated growl.

"Wasn't on a whim ya know. The doc wanted to do a fancy scan of his sister, the payout was a bunch of meds we was able to sell for a shiny penny." Mal said in his defense. "'Sides, Alliance ran hospitals don't go without for long. Took only a few hours to replace what we took, 'cording to the doc."

"That doesn't make it right...just less harmful I suppose." Korra grudgingly admitted.

"Glad we could come to an understandin'." Mal said, just as Bea turned to him. "Ready to get those goods off my boat?"

"There's a problem Mal." Bea stated, something in her voice sending alarm bells going off for Korra and Mal.

"And what's that exactly?" Mal asked, having a feeling he knew where this was going. He wasn't disappointed.

Mills took that moment to open his mouth. "See sir, some of us remember servin' with ya. Some of us ain't too happy with how it turned out. Some of us have gotten it in their head to go blamin' your fine leadership skills, 'specially with that recent raid we did for ya. Lost a few good men to that pint sized freak of a girl that showed up with that shuttle full of troops. So maybe we cotton that we don't owe you one shiny gorram penny and just take what's rightfully ours. Course, that might not be enough to settle up. But some alone time with any women folk you got onboard might."

Mal's answer was very succinct. Korra had seen people move fast, fast enough to block a barrage of ice shards, but she never saw the man's hand move until his gun went off. Mills screamed in pain as he clutched at his profusely bleeding right knee, only to wail in agony a split second later as Mal snatched the knife off Korra's belt and buried it in the screaming man's left thigh.

"Now, I realize you're in a world of hurt at the moment, I _really_ do, but I need you to listen to what I have to say. I do a job, I get paid. I don't get paid, I can't keep flyin'. I can't keep flyin', I can't keep helping you fine folk with your little resistance. I owe ya for the job I asked you to help me with, I'll give ya that, and you fine folk asked me to deliver cargo, which I've done." His voice, already hard as ice, dropped lower still as Mal took a step closer to the downed Mills. "But if you ever again imply the want to dishonor any of my crew who happen to be of the female persuasion in my immediate presence, I won't stop with just your legs... Might go a bit higher next time. Dohn-Ma?"

"Yes! Yes! Please, just don't kill me sir!" Mills shouted, all but blubbering from the massive amount of pain he was in.

And just like that, like a switch had been flipped, Mal was all smiles and cheer. "Well that's just great. Thanks for paying attention to my borin' lil lecture. Korra, get on the horn, tell Jayne we got a deal." With a vicious tug, Mal retrieved the bloody knife, cleaned it on the whimpering man's pants, and stuck it back in its sheath before Korra could even flinch. "Bea, get yourself cleaned up. You're too good a fighter to go to waste at the bottom of a bottle. Besides, somebody's gotta keep these boys civilized, and you're such an understandin' soul compared to me. Sorry 'bout the mess by the way." Bea only nodded, before she ripped Mills' pant leg off with a look of disgust before she yanked the blood soaked cloth tight around his stabbed leg, getting a satisfying yelp for her trouble. "Knew I liked ya for a reason."

"Just get those supplies off your boat Mal." Bea grunted over her shoulder before returning to the task at hand. She paused though and sighed heavily, before standing to her feet. "Thanks for getting me this far. And for tryin' to help mend what's broken. Can't promise you'll find me better off, but I'll rightly try."

"That's all any folk can ask Bea. Yer dad'll rest easier, knowing I tried to leave you in a better frame of mind, despite recent events and all. He'd be proud, for what you're doin' here. Never doubt that if nothin' else." Mal turned to Korra, who had just finished passing word on to Jayne who was getting things arranged with the crew. "Ready to start getting that boat load of supplies moved on over then?"

"Yes Captain." Was all the Avatar said in reply, still shaken up at how easily Mal had dispatched Mills.

She was no stranger to violence by any means, but this was different somehow. Darker, more primal in a way, considering how Mal had drawn his gun with practiced ease and shot the man down without even flinching. It didn't help that Mills had wanted to 'spend time' with the women of the crew, of which Korra had taken away only one meaning for what he and the other people here had wanted from them, but that didn't excuse Mal's reaction completely. It just seemed a bit extreme to her. But the fact he was so overly protective of his crew did make him a better man than most she had met thus far. Even if she didn't like his methods, he, as Korra was quickly starting to notice, always 'got the job done.' Besides, with what she had seen of his former homeworld, she couldn't really blame him for being the excessively violent and jaded man he was now.

Going back outside, properly sealed up in her suit with Mal's help, they boarded the mule and started back for Serenity's hold to start loading up the supplies they had delivered for the New Resistance. The few members that were left anyway, after the Alliance had raided the rest of their outposts a couple weeks ago, according to Mal.

"What's on your mind Korra?" Mal's question had Jayne and her looking at him in mild confusion, Korra because she had been lost in thought, Jayne out of sheer curiosity. "Come on, I can practically hear your mind turnin' as fast as the worlds 'round Georgia's yellow glow. Speak your piece, we got the time, comin' and going with the crates we get to off load."

"Was it necessary, shooting Mills _and_ stabbing him?"

Jayne sat forward immediately, his gaze holding an immense amount of interest. "You shot a guy Mal? _And_ cut on 'im too? And I missed it? Gorram it, I always miss all the fun."

Ignoring Jayne's disappointed look as he focused on not flying them into a particularly sharp outcropping, Mal whacked the gun hand's helmet and jabbed a gloved thumb towards the back seat. With a grumble, Jayne slid in next to Korra and gave her a gentle shove forward. Once she was settled in next him, only then did Mal start speaking again. "Necessary? Maybe not, but some people only understand violence as a means of communication. 'Specially with what that's been happenin' lately. Mills and those that had a similar mind to take advantage of my crew, you included darlin', they don't deserve to be talked down. Swift and decisive action is what's needed sometimes darlin'."

"Just for the record, I don't need you to defend me. I could have handled him on my own." Korra grumbled quietly in response.

"I'm sure you could have Ponytails." Mal gave her a brief grin when Korra shot him a glare at the nickname he had just dropped on her. "Wouldn't have been enough though. Man like that can take a punch, but a shot to the knee? That's something you don't forget in a hurry. You might be tougher than your average fella, I'll give ya that, but this place is a lot harder than wherever you came from. And I think you're conveniently forgetin' his less than gentlemanly friends, all of 'em packing leg irons."

"I could have taken them too." Korra stated confidently, but even Jayne wasn't fooled by the less than confident look on her face as she turned to glance at Mal.

Mal saw through her just as easily. "Uh huh. That before or after they riddled ya full of holes? Or worse. And trust me, they intended worse for ya." Mal gave her a moment to let that thought sink in, slightly surprised when Jayne was quick to agree with him.

"Cap'n's right. Fer once. Best get used to the idea you ain't playin' by your fair n' square rules no more girly. You win or ya don't, that's all that matters in this here Verse. I for one like be on the side that's still breathin' after a nasty tussle." Jayne snarked, before he kicked his boots up on the vacant seat next to him and got comfortable. "Just heartbroke I wasn't there to crack a few stubborn skulls. Woulda had a right good time of it too!"

"Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not." Korra muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's just Jayne's way of sayin' he's disappointed he wasn't there to help out. All mother hen like under that manly, truly ugly exterior." Mal explained, slightly surprised he had said anything of the sort. "I might not like ya very much yet, what with your odd choice of hairstyle and the way you're prone to a bad case of verbal diarrhea..." Mal skipped the rest of his very clever and observant examples when he tilted his visored head to see Korra's murderous blue glare. "But you're still a part of my crew. That means until you make a mistake that gets ya on my overly abundant list of enemies, I'm gonna do my gorram best to protect ya Ponytails." Mal smirked at the rosy tinge in her cheeks he managed to catch before Korra rapidly turned her head forward. "Even if you're a pig headed pi gu who ain't got a lick of sense and very clearly don't know your way around this here Verse. You're still here, you're still a part of my crew, so that makes ya my responsibility kid. Might want the doc to take a look at ya when we get back." Korra turned to give him a questioning glance. "...You sure do blush overly often for such a rough and tumble young lady."

"Bet she wishes he was a gynecologist." Jayne quietly muttered to himself behind them.

"You think Simon and- Eew! Why would you-I mean- gah!" Korra slammed her fist into Jayne's shoulder hard enough to make him wince before turning her fiery glare on Mal next. "Just get us back to the ship already!"

"Wasn't overly amusin' the first time Jayne. You'll keep a civil tongue in that mouth of yours, or I will sew it shut. Bought the thread and everythin' just in case." Mal snapped, his tone dropping down to the ice cold timbre he favored in times like this before turning to Korra. "Already have enough problems to deal with Ponytails. Beatin' up on Jayne might be fun, but until this job's done, I want him up and able. I don't like goin' back in there, with how we left that idiot on the floor. They might respect Bea, they might respect me even, despite pullin' the trigger, but there's a lot more of them than there are of us. Odds are gettin' dicy, us walkin' away after puttin' one of 'em on the deck. Rather have all my cards on the table, just in case we need 'em. Because it'll be your turn to keep an eye the mule this time."

It was Korra's turn to shoot forward in her seat the moment Mal stopped talking. Her blue eyes flared with indignant rage at the insinuation he had dropped on her lap, even if he hadn't come right out and said as much. "Oh come on! I know exactly what you're doing, leaving me behind. I'm not some delicate flower!"

"So she gets to sit on 'er ass while we do the heavy liftin'. Gee Mal, why don't we just get 'er some tea and dumpling's while we're at it? Wouldn't want to get a stray hair out of place on her pretty lil head, now would we?"

"You do remember I left you a drooling mess on the floor right? Because I can do that again anytime I want."

"Ya bushwhacked me! Them ain't kosher rules little' missus. Wouldn't a' gone down that way otherwise."

"Keep telling yourself that ape man."

"Enough, both of ya! Decision's been made." Mal's tone left no room for argument, but he softened the blow a little when he sighed and regarded his newest crew member. "I know you're far from helpless, but this ain't just about you Korra. This deals go south, there very well might not be another one. We end up on the drift, chances are we'll end up dyin' before we find safe harbor, or the Alliance will drag us to the scrap belt, force us into one of their 'volunteer' mining posts 'till the day we die. And that's bein' generous. So I gotta do what I can, make sure this goes well."

"So I'm not weak and defenseless... just a loud mouthed liability instead?" It wasn't much of an improvement in Korra's less than humble opinion.

"She finally sees the light. But you've been catchin' on fast darlin'. That's not nothing, 'specially out here."

Jayne loudly snickered from his lounging position behind them. "Way she gets all doey eyed round Inara, she'll be catchin' somethin' alright."

"Korra, mind if I borrow that knife again?" Mal asked with a blank expression, before he stuck his gloved hand out towards her.

"Just funnin' is all." Jayne muttered before crossing his arms and going oddly silent.

"I'm going to hurt you. ...Again I mean." Korra vowed with an irritated huff, before hesitantly glancing towards Mal after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "Um, just out of curiosity-"

Mal laughed and shook his head before answering the question he knew had been coming. "I'll have no gripe with ya talking with our friendly Companion. So long as it remains as such. Well, 'less Inara insists, convinces me ya need a bit more... one on one time, but she never serviced crew, so I doubt that'll be a problem. 'Sides, much as I don't like what her job entailed, I respect her for who she is. Crews like ours, they don't hold together long without someone like her, keepin' us together."

Jayne perked up at the mention of Inara, a huge grin on his face. "Speakin' of togetherness-"

"You speak one more word and I might just break out the sewin' kit right here an' now."

"What?" Korra asked as her blue eyes flicked between the two men, who were both suddenly unable to meet her curious gaze.

"Nothin' to worry your pretty little head with Ponytails. Just an old argument between me and the man ape behind ya." Mal was quick to say, but Korra had a feeling he wasn't being completely honest. There was no point in arguing further though, so she remained quiet for the rest of the trip back to Serenity. As soon as they pulled up to the cargo hold, they got to work.

It took several trips back and forth to off load the supplies they had brought for the New Resistance, with Korra never being allowed to set foot in the base again, and by the time they were done, Korra was dead on her feet. _I could've really used my Air Bending today..._ she quietly groused, only allowing herself a fleeting moment of self pity before helping Zoe and Kaylee stow the mule. Lifting heavy metal crates singlehanded wasn't exactly her forte. Not that she wouldn't drop dead from exhaustion first before admitting that out loud. That was one indignity too many in her opinion.

Barely making it into the mess, with Zoe conspicuously within arms reach the entire time, she could only grin stupidly at the heaping pile of food Kaylee slid in front of her with a knowing smile. Turning in that night after dinner, which she barely remembered eating, Korra fell into her bed, but didn't fall asleep right away. Too many thoughts were racing through her head, most of which centered around what she had seen on Shadow. A dead world, inhabited by desperate people just hoping to make a better tomorrow, even if some of them weren't exactly pleasant. Then there was Mal, the way he had shot that man down without even flinching, protecting his crew the only way he knew how. Too many things had happened for Korra to rest easily, even as tired as she was.

So it came as no surprise to her when she suddenly found herself once again being pinned down in front of a gloating Amon the moment she had finally given in and closed her wary eyes. Only this time she wasn't on Aang's Memorial Island, she was on the stage Amon had used to officiate his 'Revelation' to his followers. But instead of Bolin, Mako, Tenzin and his family, and the Chief of Republic City's police force, Lin Beifong, bound and gagged right beside her as usual, she gasped as she saw a bound Mal and the rest of his crew rising onto the stage in their place.

"Knew I shouldn't have trusted you from the moment I laid eyes on ya Ponytails." A beaten looking Mal accused her, staring at her with something far worse than anger and hate in his glacial blue eyes, it was crushing disappointment.

"Lost girl got us mixed up in her affairs, and we're paying for her mistakes. Should have killed Amon when she had the chance." River whispered quietly, yet was still loud enough to be heard by a shocked Korra. "I saw it coming, but you didn't listen. You heard, but didn't listen. No one to blame but yourself for what happens next."

"We trusted you to protect this ship and her crew Korra. It seems our faith was misplaced." Inara said in that soft, calm tone she favored, but it was edged in glacial ice sharp enough to cut holes through solid steel.

"How could you let this happen?!" Zoe shouted, the strong willed woman now a sobbing mess as Korra, horrified, noticed the small bundle in her bound arms. Amon removed his mask and walked over to the terrified mother, gently brushing his fingers through Emma's dark hair.

"Knew ya should have shot her first chance ya had cap'n." Jayne growled through his teeth, making a valiant effort to break his bonds, but they were too tightly done for him to move more than a few centimeters.

By then, Amon had closed the distance between the crew, his hands folded behind his back. "NO! Don't do this! Don't hurt them!"

"They took you in young Avatar, harbored you. They collaborated with the enemy of all non benders, and so they too must pay the same price as you and the rest of your kind." Amon retorted sharply, his real face a mask of apathetic indifference. "If it's any consolation, I would never pass the same sentence on an innocent child. She will live, the rest of your foolish allies will not."

"No please, I'll do anything!"

"_Anything_?" Amon turned to gaze down at her with a satisfied smirk. "I must say, I never would have believed I'd hear such words from you. Then again, I did say I'd destroy you before finishing you off. Still, it's an interesting proposition."

"I'll do whatever you want, just... please don't hurt them!"

"But I already _have_ what I want, young Avatar." With an insidious grin, Amon pressed his fingertips against Zoe's forehead as Korra screamed for him to stop, right up until she slumped over and went still.

The echoes of Emma's inconsolable cries resounded in her mind as Korra jolted upright in her bed, letting out a blood curdling scream that had most of the ship's occupants running for her cabin. Panting, covered in sweat from head to toe, Korra jumped when the door to her room burst open. She didn't immediately recognize who had rushed in until she felt warm hands pulling her into a tight, comforting embrace. "Ssssshhhh, it's alright Korra. Just breathe, you're safe here. You're safe."

Korra gazed up with tear streaked blue eyes at the woman holding her. "Zoe?"

"Yeah, it's me. Gave us quite a fright-" She never got a chance to finish her sentence when Korra threw herself at the surprised First Mate, sobbing as she embraced her tightly with no sign of letting go anytime soon. Shocked, Zoe stared blankly down at Korra for a moment before gently pressing the girl's head against her chest. It was some time before she calmed down, and by then everyone had passed by the door, only to find the rough and tumble girl crying her eyes out against Zoe's chest. Anyone who dared linger received a look that promised a very slow, painful death if they didn't move along in short order.

Everyone save Mal, Inara, and Kaylee, in that order, as they filed past. Mal she only stared at for a moment, nothing needing to be said between the two them to explain what had likely gotten such a strong reaction from Korra in the first place. Inara and Kaylee, she told them they'd have to ask her when she was willing to talk, although Zoe had the impression Inara had already guessed what had woken Korra up. Few things got past her. Sorely tempted to commit some needless violence when Jayne poked his head into the room a second time, Zoe was more than a little surprised when he set a mug on the small dresser next to Korra's bed.

"Warm milk." He offered in way of explanation. "Ma always said it cured a bad dream." He muttered before all but running out before Zoe could change her mind about letting him go.

"That's disgusting...but they say it's the thought that counts." Korra muttered, wiping at her moist, reddening eyes.

Zoe chuckled and rubbed at the embarrassed young girl's back in small, comforting circles. "You gonna be alright now?"

"I really don't know….I really don't." Korra whispered as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them again.

"Most honest answer I've heard in a long time. You need anything though, you know where to find me." Zoe replied softly before slowly standing to her feet. She stopped at the door for a moment and looked over her shoulder. "Whatever happened in that nightmare of yours, you have nothin' to apologize for Korra. Far as I've seen, you ain't done nothin' worth being sorry about."

"I wish that was true. I've done things...I'm not proud of. You had your war for Independence, I had mine. Only difference is I was fighting to save a city, not trying to take on an entire tyrannical government."

"War's war no matter what the stakes are. War never changes. Whether you're fighting for a handful of people dear to you, or the entire Verse, makes no difference." Zoe sagely replied before gently shutting Korra's door behind her, leaving the shaken girl to ponder what she'd said.

Before she got too comfortable in her curled up position on the bed, Zoe stuck her head back in. "Drink your milk before it gets cold. Might taste horrible, but Jayne's mother is right, it'll help you sleep." With a grimace, Korra downed the mug in one massive gulp. "Pleasant dreams Korra, and if not, don't fret none, we won't be far." With a grateful nod thrown towards the dark skinned woman, Zoe offered Korra a small smile in return before shutting the door again. True to her word, Korra soon drifted off after drinking down the mug's contents, into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	4. Bendin' The Truth A Bit

**Chapter 4: Bendin' The Truth A Bit**

Korra almost spun on her heel the second she felt seven pairs of eyes lock on her when she hesitantly entered the mess hall that morning, only to bump into Kaylee, who latched onto her arm like a cheerfully smiling fire ferret. "You ain't gonna miss breakfast with us are ya?" Kaylee asked with an adorable, and utterly inescapable, pout.

Seeing no safe way of going back to the safety of her cabin that didn't include being incredibly rude, and committing the nigh unthinkable act of managing to upset Kaylee, Korra groaned quietly and sat down at the table without any resistance on her part. She had already learned, besides the apparent natural law of the universe that it was almost impossible to upset Kaylee anyway, that actually doing so was a grave crime against said nature. You just didn't do it, even if you wanted to. On the off chance you succeeded, there'd be Hell to pay from Mal, not to mention Simon, who had only once glared at her when Kaylee had initially told him about Korra's first impression of _Serenity._

Breakfast that morning was incredibly _awkward_, for lack of a better word. Everyone was doing their best to appear as disinterested as possible while they ate, and failing miserably at it. The not so subtle glances thrown her way were ample evidence of their curiosity and, in some cases, concern. Mal finally broke the uncomfortable, disquieting silence in his usual off beat, cheerful way. "So… anyone wanna talk about last night? Slept like a baby myself, mostly."

"Mal." Inara tersely growled, in no mood for his usual antics, noticing how terribly embarrassed Korra already was. She didn't need River or Iris to tell her that last night was a sensitive topic for their newest guest. It was all too easy to see on Korra's face, the slump of her shoulders, not to mention the just visible tension in her body. Inara wasn't blind to any of it, unlike Mal apparently.

"What? I say somethin' wrong?" Mal asked innocently.

"You can just ask you know, Buhn Dahn." Korra growled as she jerked her head up to glare cold daggers at the smug scoundrel sitting at the other end of the table.

"Firstly, that's _Captain _Buhn Dahn, and secondly, I don't appreciate your less than respectful tone at such an early hour as this. Can't rightly deal with munity without at least two mugs of fresh brewed first." With a nod to himself, Mal's eyes widened in mock horror after taking his third sip of the day. "And I would very much appreciate it if you don't use that particular weakness against me in the near to very far future. Preferably never."

"Ha ha. None of you would believe me if I told you anyway, so what'd be the point?" Korra pouted and slumped further in her chair as Kaylee placed a steaming mug in front of her. "Thanks." The perky engineer just grinned in reply as she took her own seat by Simon.

"They will." River replied softly, drawing all eyes to her. "Maybe not right away, but they'll understand if you explain it to them. Been through worse than you." River shrugged, managing to make even that simple gesture slightly unsettling somehow. "Or you can keep being haunted by the masked man's ghost."

"I _don't _want to talk about it." Korra grumbled, folding her arms over her chest, looking very much like a nervous, petulant child.

"In that case, I could just tell them for you. Your choice." River said, a smug little smirk appearing on her face at having backed Korra into a metaphorical corner. "I might be a little less secretive."

"It would however be cathartic for you if you told us yourself, Avatar Korra." Iris intoned, only adding to the unsettling vibe the two psychics emanated just by being in the room.

"Way I see it Korra, this story's gettin' told. Iris is right, better if it came from your mouth than River's." Zoe stated calmly as she leaned against the kitchen counter, one hand on her hip while the other balanced her own plate of food. "You gave me an idea of what you've be through. You've seen war, that much I figured, same as Mal." Grabbing a jar of baby food from a cabinet, Zoe strolled over to the table, put down the jar and plate, and took Emma's harness off her back to set the child in the high chair next to her before she finally sat down.

Simon loudly cleared his throat after a few moments of silence. "Maybe if we all share a little about ourselves, it might make it easier for Korra to do the same with us? Would anyone like to go first?" The young doctor patiently waited for anyone to volunteer before letting out a deep sigh of annoyance when no one stepped up. "Alright then, _I'll_ go first." Simon leaned in front of Kaylee to look down the table at Korra, his eyebrows comically rising as he spoke up. "I spent my entire inheritance, and willingly tossed away a promising medical career on Osiris, in order to save my little sister from being treated like a rutting laboratory experiment." Seeing everyone but Iris and River frowning at his words, Simon smiled at his sister. "And I wouldn't have it any other way if I had to do it all over again." The slight grin this got from River seemed to placate him.

River went next, seeing it as the logical progression after Simon had finished speaking. "I stabbed Jayne in one of my more violent psychotic episodes before I recovered most of my sanity. Injured more _important _crew as well. Alliance wanted a weapon, an assassin with precognitive and psychic power, they got it, but not in the way they hoped. I uncovered their secret on Miranda, and found another, Iris, two weeks and five days ago. More like me, programmed to kill, to obey orders, and nothing else. Already freed her, but others are still out there."

"As River has previously stated, I was freed by her and Doctor Tam." Iris helpfully volunteered. "I almost terminated them when they first attempted to assist me while I was still under Alliance control. Though I calculate the chances of a recurrence of this happening again to only be seven point six two percent." Iris' paused, then continued as if she had forgotten something important. "I also threw a small surgical scalpel into Captain Reynolds' throat. Fortunately, he survived."

"Right…." Korra looked at Mal, as if trying to silently ask him why he kept her around if she was such a potential risk to his continued well being.

"To be fair, she _was_ a mite grumpy when she woke up." Mal offered, subconsciously rubbing at the left side of his neck, even as he grinned at the almost grateful look Iris gave him for defending her actions. "Figure sayin' I fought in the war on the losin' side isn't anything new. Just 'cause we lost doesn't mean it wasn't the right side though. Could tell ya quite a few stories about it 'till I'm blue in the face." Mal grinned over his mug of coffee, took a sip, and jerked his head up when something came to mind. "Oh! I got a good one. This gorram evil harpy of a woman by the name of Saffron, left me buck naked in the desert once. Not one of my better days."

"We still got the booty we was after cap'n, I'd call that a good day." Kaylee cheerfully replied. "Wasn't an altogether unpleasant view neither. An' I bet Inara would agree with me." At the amused, wide grin from the former Companion, Kaylee chuckled before offering her own tale of woe. "Cap'n first met me when his first engineer brought me aboard. Was on my back, playin' at bein' his port o' call." At Korra's raised eyebrows, Kaylee laughed and shook her head. "Mighta been a little desperate on a count of not havin' anythin' txit my-"

"I _still_ can't know that." Mal hurriedly said, hoping Kaylee wouldn't finish that particular sentence.

"Alright Cap'n Tightpants. Anyhow, that's how I got myself a fine place here after I fixed _Serenity _up in two seconds flat." Seeing the shame and guilt in her eyes, Simon leaned closer to Kaylee to give her a reassuring smile and a very complimentary whisper in her ear, if the giant, goofy grin on her face was anything to go by. "Promises ain't nothin' without the guts to back it up Simon." She shot back, grinning wider than ever in return.

"That ain't mildly disturbin' at all... _could_ stand to hear a bit more though." Jayne grunted, before he opened his mouth next. "Guess most ya'll know by now anyhow, what with those two gorram moonbrained gals runnin' their mouths off. Called the Feds once, hopin' to get a nice re-ward from the bounty on Crazy Girl Number One. 'Stead, almost got myself, the doc, and his bughouse crazy sis arrested. Make it worse, someone was comin' after us, someone that made the Feds seem welcomin'. Heard 'lotta screamin' as we made our way out of there."

"Two by two... hands of blue." Again all eyes fell on River after that bit of very softly spoken bit of mysterious rhyme. If that wasn't enough, all the color drained out of the girl's face before she finally shook herself out of her stupor and her vision seemed to clear about the same time. "Alliance hunters, sonic disruption weapons. Liquified brains and internal organs for all who had come into contact with us. With me."

"Yeah. Thanks for that creepifyin' little reminder. Anyhow, Cap'n and these fine folks saw fit to give me another chance, not that I rightly deserved one I suppose." A far more somber Jayne explained to Korra, giving Mal and the others a nod as he raised his mug. "All worked out though, we're still flyin'."

"That we are." Mal offered, mirroring Jayne's gesture. "And before ya ask Korra, those hunters were dealt with some time ago. Dropped their charred corpses in a scrap yard. Doesn't mean there won't be others, but those two are done for at least." Without missing a beat, Mal raised his mug in the Companion's direction. "How 'bout you Inara? Got any scintillating tales that would strip away this poor girl's innocence like a mighty powerful varnish?"

"I'm sure I could, but I won't." Inara replied, a playful smile on her face as she regarded each of her assorted 'family' members.

"Aww come on 'Nara, we all shared somethin'. Only fair!" Kaylee chimed in, all but pouting in an effort to get the Companion to spill something of interest.

Inara chuckled, shook her head, and let her smile grow a little before she began speaking. "If I must... A Companion doesn't kiss and tell, so such tales won't be shared here, but I wasn't always a Companion. I had a childhood, just like everyone else, and I have my fair share of rather interesting tales. I knew Nandi growing up, a fellow Companion who went...freelance."

"She was an _actual_ whore." Mal explained. "Hear her tell it, Nandi had a thing against a dulcimer and turned her back on the whole Companion shtick."

Korra was shocked to see a sad, thoughtful expression past over Mal's face, but it was gone in a heartbeat, quickly replaced with his trademark smirk. She was tempted to ask him more about this Nandi, but thought better of it at the last second. It was just as well, because she noticed a similarly depressed look flicker across Inara's beautiful face a moment later.

"We weren't always the best of friends when we were kids. I framed her for a rather daring theft." Inara gave a sad smile while everyone at the table leaned closer to her. "Three bars of fine chocolate, and a porcelain doll. Years later, when we were both apprentices living in the Training House, I confessed to the crime and apologized to her. She forgave me, after punching me in the face that is."

"That's it?!" Jayne grumbled, his disappointed frown was mirrored on most of the faces gathered around the table. "I pull a gorram Judas on you and the rest a' these folks for a bit of coin, and the _best_ you can come up with is thievin' some chocolate and a dolley?!"

"Would supporting Unification count as something more embarrassing?" Inara asked, her smile fading a little at the less than enthusiastic response her childhood tale of woe had garnered.

Mal knew Inara had supported the Alliance's side of the war, and he had never held it against her. Still, he was less than impressed with her attempt to beat her first story with one he knew about. "Not really. Can't say providin' the enemy 'stress relief' is exactly a firing squad level offense. More than a little troublin' though." Despite his words, Mal laughed at the glare that comment got from Inara. "Would it help if I didn't count the more 'inexperienced' ones? I'm not so cruel I'd make any boy go into battle without becomin' a man first."

"That somehow doesn't surprise me." Korra stated, a small smile on her face as she looked up to the captain in a new light.

"He did to." Zoe chimed in, smiling at the more cheerful memories she and Mal had of the war. "If we had the extra coin layin' round, he'd make sure younger recruits had themselves a night or two they wouldn't soon forget, if they was willin' and brave enough. Funny story since we're on the subject. Mal here, he had this new kid, fresh outta boot."

"Oh boy." Mal chuckled, knowing exactly where Zoe was going with this one.

"He was a good kid, little slow on the trigger, but not stupid. Fought almost as well as the captain, but he had no luck when it came to women. So Mal tries to help him out, but the kind hearted doxy he has lined up didn't work out so well. Kid runs out on her, too shy to go the trenches." Zoe punctated that with a knowing wink, causing a very familiar skin condition to develop on their resident Avatar. Zoe continued, smirking at the blush they could easily see on Korra's cheeks. "Two weeks later we're at the Battle of Smokey Toppe, and our Sergeant here can't find our new greenhorn anywhere. Turned out, he found his girl. A purple belly to boot, just as green as he is, in more ways than one."

"No!" Kaylee gasped, grinning from ear to ear at this interesting twist.

Mal picked up where Zoe had left off, a wide grin on his own face. "So I kick down the door of this deserted little shack in the middle of Nowhere, and the first thing she screams is 'Just let me finish before you shoot!'." Mal raised his arms, adding in a gasp and some loud moaning for effect. "Didn't have the heart to shoot her, or him for that matter, going over to the other side like that. Not that I blamed him much. After it all was said and done, had three kids and started a little ranch on Greenleaf. Last I heard, they was still doin' pretty well for themselves. Sent 'em the picture I grabbed of 'em in the act as a wedding gift, shoulda seen their faces, all sweaty and shocked like. Framed it and everythin'."

"You send that with the stuffed rabbit sir, or was that a separate package?" Zoe asked, grinning quietly as she wiped at Emma's chin after she started to drool.

"Separate package. Didn't want to scar their first born for life." Mal clarified, chuckling as he took another a sip from his mug.

Zoe rolled her eyes but shrugged as she tried to think of something to share. It didn't take her long when she picked up an apple and speared it through with her knife before cutting off one thin slice at a time. "Me and Wash had been workin' for Mal for a while now, and we make a run to Persephone. First time I meet the local crime lord, name a' Badger. Mal has a history with him, so I let him take the lead. Turns out that's a bad idea. He's heard of my Mister, and Badger has a tendency to run his mouth, so when the Captain's cunnin' negotiation skills start to take a bad turn, Badger looks at me and says somethin' about findin' me someone worth my time. Namely a well respected businessman and 'pillar of the community' such as himself."

Korra smiled and leaned on her elbows. "I'm gonna take a guess and say he didn't like what you had to say about that."

Zoe grinned right back and nodded her head since Korra was right. "I pulled my rifle, shot a hole in his desk at about knee high, and turned on the closest guard before he had a chance to pull his own leg iron. Made it clear I wasn't interested in anythin' he had to offer. Oddly enough, that was the first time I realized that I loved Wash. Might have to thank Badger the next time I see him, if I don't shoot him first."

Korra had heard enough and could only laugh and shake her head at the assorted tales that had been told by the crew. Some of them had been very revealing in more ways than one, Jayne and Simon's especially, but all of it had served its purpose in building a small amount of trust between them. "Guess it's my turn now."

"It gorram well better be. Not every day a fella bares his soul and all." Jayne muttered, not about to be denied now.

"Seems only fair Ponytails." Mal agreed before going to get himself and Korra another mug of coffee, which she accepted with a nod of thanks.

"For once, I have to agree with Jayne. I never thought I'd say that." Simon replied quietly as he sat back down next to his sister and Kaylee. "Maybe this is what going insane feels like."

"No, it's shiny!" Kaylee all but shouted. "We all got stories, only fair we hear Korra's!"

Tempted to see if she could grab Inara and make it to her shuttle before the crew could catch up with them, she disposed of that idea when Iris and River gave her knowing smirks as soon as her 'escape plan' took shape. Sighing in defeat, seeing no way out of this, Korra resigned herself to telling her own story. "Before I say anything, you need to understand the kind of world I came from. How we live, what we believe in, all of it. And I need you to not say a word until I finish because some of this is going to sound downright crazy without proof."

"Darlin', down right crazy is what we do on a near daily basis." Mal stated, a proud smirk on his ruggedly handsome face.

"Defying the laws of physics is a little more than what we deal with Mal." River retorted quietly.

"Huh?"

"I think she means this is related to all those random occurrences that plagued the ship until Korra showed up, sir." Zoe snarked, and wasn't disappointed when the pair of Readers nodded their confirmation.

"Oh, gotcha. Now I'm mighty interested." Mal said with a nod of his head as the pieces started to fall together.

"Sorry, that was Aang, and probably more than a few of the other past Avatars. Their spirit forms at least." Korra glared at the raised eyebrows and blank stares that comment received. "I told you it was going to sound crazy." Korra raised her arms in exasperation and seemingly yelled at the ceiling. "Aang little help here?!" And it was at that point... that absolutely nothing happened, much to her embarrassment.

"Huh." Was all Mal could say yet again as an uncomfortable silence fell on the mess.

"Start at the beginning." Inara encouraged after the tense silence became too much, even for her. "Every tale has a beginning, start with yours and work from there. You've certainly got our attention."

"Yeah...we'd all like to hear more from our bestest new pal Korra." Jayne loudly said, speaking to the room at large, snickering under his breath. "Girl must be gorram queen of the moonbrains."

"Master Aang has a sense of humor, but he's a peace loving man. Only used violence as a last resort. Like Iris or Simon. Unlike Korra. Or me." River offered, although whether it was meant to a warning for Jayne or a random thought was anyone's guess. A guess which was quickly dispelled with what she said next. "_You_, he just doesn't like all that much, man ape gone wrong."

"Well I certainly don't like my pants catchin' on fire for no gorram reason." Jayne growled out in response at the reminder.

"That was probably Keisha, she was one of the most renown Firebenders in history. At least, she started out as a Firebender, before she discovered she was another Avatar." Korra supplied, rubbing at her chin in thought.

"You don't say. This Keisha lady, she wouldn't happen to be a of good lookin', shapely sort would she?" Jayne asked with an outright leer.

"Jayne, woman set your pi gu on fire, I think its safe to say she don't like ya that much." Zoe deadpanned, before she went back to feeding a ravenous Emma.

"Not to mention she's been dead for a few thousand years." Korra chimed in with a roll of her blue eyes. "Can I get on with this, or would you rather keep on interrupting me?"

"Ya heard the lady." Mal said, before nodding for her to continue. While he wasn't the only one that wanted to hear this particular tale, Mal was fairly certain he was the one most personally invested since it was his ship that had been chosen to harbor their mysterious new guest. One that came from a place and time that was vastly different from his own.

"I guess I should start with Bending." Korra said while she rubbed at her chin before a thought occurred to her, and she glared at River. "Please tell me River at least told you what that is..."

"Somethin' about being able to control the four basic elements of your world was what I got outta of her less than enthusiastic explanation. About the same day my shower head decided to explode with a barrage of ice shards. Gonna take a wild guess water is one of those basic elements a' yours." Mal said with a casual, nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

Korra nodded, trying her best not to laugh at the ornery captain. "As well as Earth, Fire, and Air. Most Benders can only control one element, but the Avatar can master them all."

"Explains ma smokin' ass." Jayne chimed in, much to the crew's collective annoyance. "I'd take it as a personal favor if'n you'd ask your crazy spirit buddies not to do that again. Not that the next woman I bed is gonna complain. Smooth as a babe's behind, front and back. Gonna take a few more showers to get rid of the stink though."

"...I think I'm going to be sick." Korra muttered, flabberghasted by Jayne's less than subtle comment.

"I'm trying to decide if you could be any cruder, but I'm having a hard time imagining it." Simon told him as he gave Korra a gently pat on the shoulder, shocked disgust etched all over his face.

"Just makin' polite conversation is all." Jayne said defensively.

"You want to leave this room." Zoe told him with an eerily calm tone to her voice. One that had the hairs on the back of Korra's neck standing on end.

"Not really." When Zoe snapped up her Mare's Leg, Jayne was on his feet and all but running for the nearest exit. "I'm goin'! Jeez, you seriously need a good hump woman, just sayin'. Maybe Korra here could help ya out with th-" The ominous sound of a lever action click filled the room. "Gorram it Zoe! Thought motherhood 'supposed to mellow a gal, not turn her into a killer woman!" He shouted, but didn't stop to say anything else as he disappeared into his bunk.

The only interruption to the tense silence that had fallen over the room came from Emma as she started wailing from the odd silence around her, but she quieted almost immediately when Zoe picked her up and held her against her shoulder. "Shh, it's okay baby girl, your mama just has a slight issue with a certain pig headed yi da tuo da bian."

Mal smirked and gave Zoe an approving nod. "Shootin' n' cussin', best to teach 'em the essentials at a young age."

"Right…." Korra replied, disbelief all too easy to see on her pale face at the scene that had just played out right in front of her. She made a mental note not to anger Zoe, _ever_, if she wanted to keep breathing. After the color returned to her cheeks, only then did Korra find herself able to keep on going with her story. "Basically, the Avatar's job, ah that's me, is to bring the world into balance. Literally or otherwise, Avatars achieve this by becoming one with themselves and the world around them, mastering both the physical and spiritual aspects of Bending. I…still have a long way to go before I get the spiritual side figured out." She admitted sheepishly.

"So you're a peacekeeper, acting as a guide in your own way." Inara said, explaining what Korra was trying to say to the rest of the crew in a way they'd understand.

"I... guess you could say that. Yes, I'm a peacekeeper." Korra said with a grin, taking a shine to the new title.

"_Great_, a mystical like Fed, just what we need." Mal groaned with a twinkle in his eyes as he gestured for Korra to keep going.

"People are born able to Bend, it's how it's always been as far as I was ever told. The Avatar can take a person's ability to Bend away, or gift those individuals they feel worthy of the same power." It was here that Korra's grin died. "But someone….other than the Avatar, rose up a little more than six months ago in Republic City. Um, that's the capitol... where I'm from."

"You don't say? Never woulda guessed." Mal told her with a smirk as Inara cast him an irritated glare.

"Mal." Inara muttered darkly, her gaze hardening somewhat before she turned to Korra. "Would it be safe to assume this person caused this war you hinted at?"

Korra nodded before continuing her tale. "Their leader was able to strip away people's ability to bend, which, honestly makes us Benders what we are. His name was Noatok, but he went by another name, Amon." No one seated around the table missed the subtle shiver that raced up Korra's spine at the man's very name. "Amon led a revolutionary movement called the Equalists, who claimed to be trying to fight for the equal rights and protection for all non-benders, but in the end, he was more interested in taking away _everyone's _rights, Bender and non-bender alike. The irony is that he was a Bender himself….a Waterbender." Korra hesitated, as if wondering just how much to share with them. "As well as a Bloodbender. A kind of...psychic, twisted form of Waterbending, focused on manipulating the body itself."

"You ah, one of these folk by any chance?" Mal asked, and Korra could practically hear him unbuttoning his holster catch under the table, trying to hide the movement with a chipper grin. "Just curious is all."

"What?! No! Bloodbending was outlawed long ago, because it was so dangerous and… well, just _wrong_. I can... _could_ Waterbend, but that's it! Even if I could Bloodbend, I would never use it!" She paled as she remembered how it had felt to be held hostage by Tarlokk and Amon respectively by their Bloodbending. Tarlokk had been bad enough, but Amon had been many times worse, and not just because he had been more powerful. "I've been on the receiving end, and it's….like being violated in the worst way you could imagine. Being manipulated like a puppet by a twisted, dark mind, and you're not able to do a thing to stop it. Not to mention extremely painful since resisting-"

"Whoa, whoa, take a breath. Bloodbending equals bad, I get it." Mal offered the girl a reassuring look, seeing how nervous she was just discussing the matter, and slowly took his hand off his pistol's grip.

"You really don't, but be glad you won't ever find out." River whispered, having a far better understanding of what Korra had endured. It was, in a way, almost as bad as what the Alliance had done to her and Iris, and that wasn't taking into consideration what Korra was getting ready to divulge next.

"Anyway, Amon led his Equalists against Republic City. He had every intention of wiping out Bending, and for a while, it looked like he'd win. He had a weapons manufacturer, Hiroshi Sato, the father of a friend I ended up making along the way. He was able to create the perfect counter to almost everything we could throw at Amon. Mecha-tanks, tri-planes, bombs, you name it. Even after we took him down, Amon still had his chi-blockers, and most of his people were able to blend in with any crowd until they struck."

"An army of ghosts." Iris whispered, before speaking up seconds later. "You won, that much is clear."

"Question." Simon asked, politely raising his hand as Mal rolled his eyes.

Korra couldn't help smiling at Simon's overly polite nature. "Um, yes?"

"What's a chi-blocker? If I were to take a guess, perhaps someone with a detailed knowledge of the nervous system, affecting the so called 'chi' in a person's body by somehow blocking nerve signals?"

"You'd be right, except chi is very real for us Benders. It's how we manipulate the elements, by precise, smooth movements of our hands and feet and by channeling that same energy inside ourselves. Every element has its own style of combat, and requires its own stances and movements. Chi-blockers struck at specific points of the body, disrupting that flow temporarily."

"Guess we can add 'chi-blocking' to that Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang's list of dirty deeds. Knew I shoulda shot 'im in the head." At Korra's curious look, Mal elaborated. "Alliance sent a special sort of trouble our way, fella called an Operative. Think highly trained chi-blocker who just loves to stab people and I'd reckon you'd have a pretty close comparison Ponytails."

"Could you please stop calling me that?" Korra grumbled and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"No, I truly can't." Mal cheerfully retorted.

"Captain Buhn Dahn." Korra growled under her breath, a vein visibly pulsing in her forehead.

"Been called worse, right Zoe? Remember that time you were washin' up down by the river right before-"

Mal trailed off to a dead stop when Zoe shot him an equally cold glare she had used on Jayne not so long ago. "Might be best for your health if you don't finish that thought sir."

"Just tell me this then. Ever do a little battle reenacting with your dear departed, and all 'round hilarious husband? Because I swear I heard Wash mention-" Mal trailed off again when Zoe started to walk away from Emma, and towards him, like a lioness stalking her sarcastic, smug prey. "Movin' on." He quickly said, and held up his hands to show he wasn't about to test her further.

"You're a horrible, horrible person." Korra stated with complete certainty as she stared at Mal like he was some particularly revolting beetle-roach. With a sigh, she shook her head and let her arms fall back to her sides before continuing. "Where was I anyway?"

"I'm a horrible person, and fella named Amon was in the middle of capturing your capital, harassing the civvies and all round bein' a mite dickish, lest I'm mistaken."

"Right…." Korra paled once more at the reminder. Taking a breath, then a second, she went on. "I made the mistake of challenging him not long after I arrived in town. He could have taken my Bending away then and there, but he wanted to save me for last. I never felt so helpless, so terrified before in my life."

Mal, leaning forward to rest his chin on one of his hands, gave korra a mocking pout. "Aww...I think someone needs a hug. Anyone wanna volunteer? Maybe you Inara?"

"Mal, enough." Inara growled, and Korra was starting to debate whether Reynolds' First Mate might have some competition in the rapidly growing 'first to knock the Captain on his ass' department.

Simon was just as annoyed by Mal's need to keep opening his mouth, and made his distaste known. "I have to agree with Inara, you're not exactly making things easy for our new guest, Captain."

Mal's goofy grin faded a little while his gaze hardened in annoyance. "I can take lip from Zoe, Kaylee, even Inara, hell Jayne on one of my more generous days, but you doc? That has an unpleasant affect on the landscape and I ain't likin' it overly much."

"Then maybe you should stick a fire ferret in that mouth of yours and let me talk!" Korra shouted and slammed her hand on the table, hard enough to shake up the plates and rattle the glasses. Emma's startled cry was enough to morph Korra's annoyed glare into a guilty looking frown. "Sorry Zoe."

"Can't rightly blame you, Captain has a way of pressin' the wrong buttons. Just don't let it happen round Emma again and we won't have a problem." Korra hurriedly nodded her head in understanding and was relieved when Zoe smirked in reply.

Mal meanwhile blinked in shock at Korra's almost violent outburst. "My oh my, such crude like behavior from our obviously citified young lady here."

"I know where you hide your badly written love poetry to Inara." River deadpanned, eerily cocking her head to the side.

It was Mal's turn to lose the color in his face as he glared at River in badly disguised shock. "I-I have no idea what she's talkin' bout. Must be some stray junk floatin' round that head of her's."

"Mei-mei, I think we need to have a talk in private after Korra's finished telling her story." Inara said, giving Mal a curious stare as he tried, and utterly failed, to appear nonplussed.

"You're his compass apparently, and you need to think of a better word than rumbas, it doesn't fit the context of your pross." River softly stated, a strange little smile on her lips.

Mal coughed and rubbed the back of his neck while he tried to regain his composure. "Would ya'll please stop interruptin' the flustered young lady?! I'm still waitin' to find out what happens with what's his face... Omelet."

"_Amon_." Korra corrected him before throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "You know what, forget it. You ruined my rhythm and I don't feel like trying to pick up where I left off now."

"He took her Bending away." Iris said just as Korra started to get to her feet, her softly spoken words freezing the young woman like a deer in headlights. "River told you this story was getting told one way or the other Avatar Korra." She further stated when Korra sat back down, stunned into immobility.

Simon glared at the bald girl, before looking to his sister for an explanation. "Well, that makes sense, considering she can't _bend_, which I'm still a little confused about-"

"That was the _first _time I lost my bending...long story." Korra growled in retort as she glared at Iris before casting her furious gaze on Simon next. "I got it back for a while, until I found my way here. Then, wham, it was gone again just like that." Everyone except Iris and River jumped as Korra went to punch at the table again, before stopping her fist less an inch from it at Zoe's less than subtle glare. Korra immediately pulled her hand back and snapped her fingers instead. "Why I can't Bend here I haven't figured out yet, and _someone _won't say whether or not I'll get it back at all." No one had to guess who she meant when Korra let her blue eyes settle on River, who merely stuck out her tongue at the Avatar.

"Well someone's certainly grumpy." Kaylee admonished as she shoved a plate of faux banana-nut muffins in Korra's direction. Which soon found a new home lodged in her hair, while a satisfied looking Korra smirked at the stunned engineer. "I'm gonna let you off easy, since you're new and all. Not like you might suddenly get covered in grease when you're in the shower, or hot tar..."

"Kaylee, you're way too nice to do anything like that." Korra retorted, smirking as Kaylee pulled a large chunk of 'muffin' out of her hair and nibbled at it.

"Jubal might disagree with ya." Kaylee retorted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh really?" Korra rolled her blue eyes and gave the mousey engineer a dubious grin. "Who's that?"

"Just a thorn in our sides Kaylee whacked with a big gorram wrench and shot out the trash chute is all. Right after makin' him soil his britches, if the smell was anythin' to go by." Zoe helpfully informed her, while managing to keep a straight face as she tricked Emma into eating another spoonful of mashed carrots.

"Okay…." Korra replied, suddenly not so sure if she wanted to tempt Kaylee's wrath if half of what Zoe had said was true. "Sorry." The Avatar didn't see the apple core flying at her face until it bounced off her forehead.

"Now we're even." Kaylee told her with a smirking nod before giggling at Korra, which only served to unnerve her more. "And stop lookin' at me like Imma cut your hair off in your sleep...not that I'd ever do somethin' like that."

"I can handle having food thrown at me, but touch my hair and we'll be going twenty rounds little miss Engineer. Actually, that's not a bad idea." At their puzzled expressions, Korra stood to her feet and grinned at the perpetually cheery woman. "I could use a sparring partner. I might not have my Bending, but I can still throw a punch." She threw Zoe an appreciative smile before looking at Kaylee again. "So, whaddya say? I show you a few moves, you can explain the fine art of knocking somebody out with heavy tools."

Kaylee grinned at the offer before going back to picking pieces of muffin out of her hair. "You should see what I can do with a pair a' tweezers."

Korra had to stop herself from shuddering at the various mental images that comment put in her head. Again she made a note not to piss off the innocent looking engineer as she stood and started from the mess. She didn't get far before Mal cleared his throat, loudly. "You haven't finished your scintillatin' little tale yet."

"Maybe if I'm not interrupted every five seconds next time, I will." Korra shot over her shoulder before walking away.

"She has a point sir. You didn't make it easy for her, well not that you make life easy for anyone." Zoe said as she finished up with Emma before lifting her up out of her high chair. "See you in the cargo hold _sir_." She muttered darkly, and carried Emma away, following after Korra.

Mal raised his hands in exasperation before downing the last of his coffee as the mess slowly cleared out, receiving more than a few glares from his assorted crew mates. "What?! Not my fault she happens to have a lousy sense of humor!"


	5. Bendin' The Law A Lot Part 1

**Chapter 5: Bendin' The Law A Lot**

Roughly one week later, Korra had discovered almost every possible way to not go insane from the mind numbing tedium that was life in space.

Luckily, there were plenty of things for her to learn about the ship itself, despite her discomfort around Kaylee's cheerful disposition. Mainly, whenever she explained something that involved painful death and dismemberment if something were to go horribly wrong in the constant running and maintaining of _Serenity's _various systems.

Sparring matches with Iris and River, sometimes at the same time, were usually enough to snap her out of her occasional near claustrophobic panic. The simple fact of being sealed in a moving pressure vessel for days on end while coasting through the airless void of space served to unnerve her to no end if she thought about it too much. Hence a pair of psychic assassins doing their very best to distract her from such thoughts, mostly by pummeling them out of her. It hadn't taken Kora long to notice that both River and Iris were easily her equal since they were able to anticipate her every move. Korra always walked away from their matches with a multitude of fresh bruises, but she also usually had a smile on her face afterward.

Then there were Simon's incredibly thorough, or in other words, incredibly boring, impromptu lectures on first aid, basic medical procedures and triage. These came along with his repeated attempts to try and offer her a patient, understanding ear. She had yet to take him up on the offer, even as he patched up her small cuts and bruises after getting her butt handed to her by his sister and Iris.

In typical Zoe fashion, Korra found out that she hadn't been kidding about letting her babysit Emma. The lessons on proper gun maintenance and cleaning were a side benefit, and served to alleviate her general discomfort with being around the strange weapons these people favored. It also helped ease her nerves because Zoe was someone she respected, even if the older woman was at times cold and intimidating, if not downright terrifying.

One night, Jayne even managed to goad her into a game of 'ring ball', which she was determined to beat him at, despite not knowing how to play. It turned into a free for all once the rest of the crew joined in after watching the two of them go at it with needlessly fierce conviction. Halfway through the game, Korra had tripped up the man and sent him tumbling across the deck. She got her first hand on lesson from Simon, helping him pop Jayne's dislocated shoulder back into place before tossing the man a bag of ice. She spent the rest of that night sitting with him on the side lines, watching as the others finished up the game they had started.

Then there was her time with Inara. She had mustered up the courage to take a look around the former Companion's shuttle, upon her invitation, and had found herself talking about Republic City before she left. Whatever it was about Inara, Korra found she had a talent for getting the not-quite-Avatar to spill her guts with minimal effort. To make things stranger yet, Korra found she didn't mind talking with her about the more intimate details of her past as she might have with anyone else onboard. It helped that Inara didn't pass judgment or make assumptions about anything Korra shared with her. If anything, Inara usually had very astute words of wisdom and advice for her.

Oddly enough, she enjoyed her time with Mal most, mainly because he actually let her fly the ship. If making very minor course corrections by pressing buttons could be considered flying. Most of their time was spent gazing out that the infinite black expanse of stars _Serenity _traveled through. When they weren't tearing each other's throat out anyway. One time, during a particular loud argument over ethics and 'public service' a fuming Mal held up a finger and promptly left the bridge. About forty-five minutes and one very loud alarm later Korra realized she had absolutely no idea what she was doing, and ran out of the bridge only to see Mal grinning from ear to ear at her. It didn't take her long to realize he had pulled a fast one on her.

Much like he was apparently doing at this very moment as she groggily opened her eyes to the sound of his voice echoing through the ship. "All ya'll get dressed and movin', work to be done!" Mal cheerfully yelled, his voice echoing down the corridor from the bridge while he spoke into the handheld connected to the ship's intercom. "We got ourselves a date with destiny folks!"

Korra groaned and glared over at the nearest speaker, seriously debating ripping it out of the wall. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Korra slowly slipped out of her bed and groggily padded barefoot out into the corridor. "What's going on, are we being attacked or something?"

"Oh no, it's much worse than that." Simon, equally half asleep, warily explained to her. "It's getting close to Unification Day."

Korra just yawned and stared at him blankly. "And that is?"

"The celebration of the Alliance's victory over the Independents." Simon replied with a casual shrug.

"Right... why does Mal sound so happy then?" It seemed like a glaring contradiction for someone that had fought for Independence.

"You'll see soon enough." Simon walked off, shaking his head and muttering something about needing to stock up on disinfectant and bandages.

"Okay..." Still very confused, Korra headed to the mess to grab herself a cup of coffee, one of the few things she had quickly learned that the crew didn't skimp on. Besides Inara's tea anyway, but she didn't like to impose on the former Companion. Whatever the case, the Avatar couldn't help but think about the last few days as she padded back to her bunk, cup in hand, and prepared for the morning, while trying not to notice the smell coming off the 'clean' shirt Zoe had 'borrowed' from Jayne that she was forced to slip on.

Despite living on a ship that was constantly falling apart around them as far as she was concerned, Korra had started to see why they loved _Serenity_. In an odd kind of way, it had been made into an almost cozy, if rusting and sharp edged, home by the crew. While she didn't feel the same way just yet, Korra still saw _Serenity _for what it had become for the rest of them.

A blurry eyed Jayne stumbled out of his bunk only to bump into a semi-conscious Korra a split second later. "Well, well, what have we here?"

Korra looked up and glared at the gun hand over her cup of coffee. "Someone that's going to be really grumpy if you don't move on."

Jayne leered at the girl, a massive grin spreading across his face as was less than subtle about staring down the garish yellow tank top she wore. "You can keep that if you like, not the first philly to raid my stuff, usually get the pleasure of their company first though."

Glaring at Jayne before glancing down at her chest, it wasn't hard for Korra to figure out why the man had such a big stupid grin on his face. Normally she wore thick fur lined clothes, having lived in one of the coldest parts of her world. Here, she had quickly gotten used to the more comfortable climate of _Serenity _and the lighter clothing everyone wore. As a result, she had never gotten into the habit of wearing a bra, not even a strap, so her chest was free to move about with every step. It was little surprise Jayne was all but leering as she self consciously moved to cover herself, only to drop her cup.

Bending over to snatch it in mid air before it smashed into the deck, Jayne glance up at her with a grin. "Mighty chilly today ain't it?" Sipping at the cup, he shoved his way past her before letting out a cackle.

"Hey! That's mine!" Korra growled as she started after him.

"Finder's keeper's girlie." Jayne countered, snickering while he started walking away.

"I hate you." Korra grumbled, but sighed as she fell in behind the giant ape.

"Know what I think? I reckon you're all twitterpated and such from breathin' in ma manly scent." Jayne chuckled with a lusty smile over his shoulder.

Korra grabbed Jayne by the shoulder and spun him around so fast he sloshed most of his stolen coffee onto the deck. "Listen up you foul mouthed walking trash heap. I'd rather kiss an elephant-rat than have anything to do with you."

"Suit yerself. Guess I'll be takin' ma shirt back then." Jayne leered and held out his other hand.

Korra glared up at Jayne and jammed a finger into his chest hard enough to make him wince after batting his hand away. "What?! Are you crazy?! I am _not _taking this off in the middle of the hallway!"

Jayne busted out into bent over laughter as Korra's cheeks took on a familiar rosy tinge. "Hehe, you're just too gorram easy girl."

She was struck silent for a moment before her blue eyes filled with indignant rage. "Wait, you were messing with me?!"

"Guess you ain't such a back-berth after all girly." With that, Jayne walked off, cackling the whole way, doing his best impersonation of a very indignant Korra. "Oh my, how dare you make me show ma shapely brown fun bags out in the hall!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Korra yelled as she charged after a teary Jayne. She didn't get far before a half dressed Mal stepped into the hallway. Korra only had time to dodge around him, surprising the captain at how easily she moved on a dime even when she tripped and fell into an empty cabin. "Ow…." Korra groaned, staring up at the ceiling while she tried to get the world to stop spinning. She was so determined to pound Jayne into a fine paste that she didn't even notice when her loose shirt got caught on the ladder on her way back up and promptly tore free as she raced after him.

"Huh. Don't see that every day." Mal muttered, dumbly blinking when he caught the sight of Korra running after the gun hand more or less naked from the waist up.

Realizing what had happened, Korra hugged her arms around her chest and tried to cover herself with the tattered remains of her shirt. "Gah! Will you stop staring already?!" It didn't help any that Jayne was still laughing his head off, harder than ever when he caught sight of Korra trying to look as small as possible.

Mal calmly sipped at his mug before addressing the flustered half naked teenager glaring at him. "Sorry. Ya know, some women would take it as a compliment."

Korra was far from amused at Mal's so called compliment. "Say one more word and I'm telling Inara you made a pass at me."

"Fightin' dirty? You're catchin' on quick Ponytails." Mal, sipping at his mug of brew, casually leaned closer to her. "Is that a tattoo I see?"

"Gah!" Stomping past Malcolm, more humiliated than she had ever been in her entire life, Korra almost hoped the rickety ship crashed this time when River tried to land. Running to her cabin, she ripped open her clothes drawer and grabbed something at random before throwing off the ruins of Jayne's old shirt. "Captain Buhn Dahn, more like Captain Pervert! He drives me so crazy!" She hissed, but took a calming breath as she slipped into her new outfit just as she felt someone walking by her door. "If you say another word Mal, I'm go-oh…. Hey Inara." She trailed off when she saw the former Companion standing at her door.

"Had another run in with our fearless leader?" The Companion asked, an amused gleam in her eyes as she stopped and peaked into Korra's room.

"Jayne started it. Your annoying, arrogantly smug boyfriend didn't help though." Korra growled out as she kicked her dresser drawer shut before standing to her feet, her arms crossed.

Inara glanced towards the battered dresser before giving Korra a knowing look. "I'm going to guess that you had a rather embarrassing moment this morning."

"What?! How did you-" Korra sputtered in shock before Inara calmly raised her hand.

Inara chuckled warmly and gave her an amused smile at the same time. "The goofy look on Mal's face, and the fact you left a trail of torn cloth behind you."

"Yeah, right. That." Korra sighed, slumping on her bed as she hung her head in yet another bout of rosy cheeked embarrassment. Korra figured that she must have blushed more in front of this crew in less than two weeks than she had in her whole life. But constantly finding herself wanting, or even worse, seen as painfully naive tended to have that effect.

Inara sighed before sitting on the bed next to her. "Oh please, don't be so mortified, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Other than I made a giant fool of myself you mean. _Again_." Korra muttered in return.

Inara grinned and playfully bumped her shoulder into Korra's side. "This might be a good time to tell you about how exactly Malcolm ended up sitting naked in the desert."

"Oh this I gotta hear." Korra asked just a little too quickly for Inara's taste.

"The _point _is, we've all had our share of less than favorable moments. They aren't worth dwelling over, and become rather humorous once enough time has gone by for us to admit it."

"Mal flirted with me." Korra deadpanned in response.

Inara wasn't fooled by her attempt to shame Mal with a crime she was certain he hadn't committed. "While I'm sure he didn't refrain from looking, he most certainly wouldn't flirt with a mortified young girl."

"He's not that much of a giant turtle-mule huh?" Korra had to smile, remembering the amused grin on Mal's face, not at all the lusty eyed stare she had been dreading when she'd noticed him standing there.

"No, I think... your world certainly is full of some very strange animals."

"You have no idea."

Inara simply nodded before she got the subject back on track. "As for Mal, he has a strange sense of honor and nobility about him."

"For a criminal."

"He prefers ruggedly handsome scoundrel."

"Well whatever he prefers, I'm gonna enjoy getting off this rust bu-ship for a while. I don't know how you do it, living on this cramped vessel for days at a time."

"Sometimes it's been weeks on a single stretch, but from what you've told us, I can understand why you'd feel that way. You're used to being free."

Korra nodded her head at that since Inara was, as usual, spot on. "So, wanna give me a hint what all this 'Unification Day' stuff is about. And why Mal is acting like it's getting close to his birthday?"

"Some things are better experienced than explained." Inara left Korra to consider her cryptic response, with a small, amused smile on her lips.

"Fine!" Exasperated, Korra went to squeeze past Inara, only to freeze up, feeling like she had butter-dragonflies in her stomach when Inara's hand brushed against her arm. "Um, just need to squeeze through here..."

"Korra, if you ever feel like talking with me again about... more personal things, know you can trust me to keep anything said between us private. Simon as well, but he's not as good a listener as I am." Inara told her with a melodious chuckle.

"Thanks but I'm fine." Korra said simply and started away after jerking her arm free, but stopped and looked over her shoulder. She started to say something, but shook her head and moved on just as the ship started its final approach to whatever rock Mal had steered them towards this time. She hadn't been lying about needing to get off _Serenity _to stretch her legs, but Inara's offer had made her consider opening up to the woman then and there. Her pride got in the way of that idea though. "I don't need your help."

"Of course, if you ever reconsider-"

"I won't." Despite her curt response, Korra got the distinct impression that Inara knew better. Walking away from the former Companion, she couldn't shake the feeling that one day, she'd seek Inara out and her offer would still be on the table.

Going down to the cargo hold just as Zoe opened the ramp, Korra had to blink and adjust to the sudden brightness from being on a planet again. She sighed with relief at the simple pleasure of being able to breathe fresh, non recycled air for the first time in days. "Never thought I'd say this, but I think I might get used to the idea of kissing the dirt."

"Wasn't plannin' on the dirt kissin' myself." Zoe chuckled, but nodded in understanding since she knew where Korra was coming from. "It can get pretty crowded, crew gets a nasty case of cabin fever sometimes as Simon so elegantly put it, all sealed up together, but you get used to pretty much anythin' after a while. You ain't gonna run off into the wilds are ya? Don't seem suited to traveling in the black."

"Wasn't planning on it. Not after I heard how River and Simon got themselves kidnapped and almost burned alive." Korra retorted, and sent Zoe an amused grin. "Starting to understand why someone might though, after living with Mal's giant, overinflated ego, and Jayne's lecherous nature." Korra stated with a roll of her eyes.

"Shame, that _was_ a fine shirt." Zoe said with a knowing smirk as she started to unstow the mule.

Korra's eyes bugged out as she stomped a boot in frustration. "Does _everybody _know _everything _that happens on this ship?!"

"Pretty much. If you feel the need for a little recompense, you can always ask Jayne about the motley collection of junk he saves up to send back home, 'long with a lion's share of his pay."

"Huh, never thought I'd hear that about him. Guess he has a heart after all. Gah, that just sounds wrong! Great, now I can't hit him." At Zoe's wry glance, Korra quietly explained. "I can't beat up a guy who sends trinkets and money back home."

Zoe laughed and shook her head in response. "Oh there's plenty times he still deserves a bit of roughin' up. Don't let the fact he has folks stop ya."

"You are just plain scary Zoe."

"You haven't seen me be scary."

"Right….so, where are we anyway?" Korra asked as she subconsciously took a step back from the First Mate.

"Ares, small outer colony world." They turned and saw Mal being followed by River. "We got a wave, askin' for a few gun hands to round up or put down some raiders who've been causin' all manner of trouble for the locals. Been promised a nice little bounty in exchange."

"You mean... kill them?" Korra asked incredulously. "What about going to the local law enforcement?! You can't just go around killing people!"

Mal gave her a glare as he helped Zoe with the mule. "The only law out here is what people make for themselves. Alliance don't care much about folk once a planet's been terraformed, never have. They drop people on a rock to make their own way. They either survive or they don't. We're doin' a public service, puttin' these low life types outta business. It helps we get paid for the job, but I ain't much for preyin' on the weak and helpless."

"Captain's right Korra. We're doin' more good out here by helping these people." Zoe stated, sounding mildly annoyed with the girl's glaring naivete.

Giving the pair an irritated frown, Korra crossed her arms and defiantly stared back at them. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. Someone needs to make sure you give them a chance to surrender peacefully."

"They won't accept the offer to parlay." River whispered softly as she passed and stopped at the bottom of the ramp, her face uplifted towards the sun for a moment before she spun gracefully on her heel to face Korra directly. "Raiders are almost as bad as Reavers. They prey on the weak and helpless, taking what they want. Money, food, medical supplies, sometimes women and children if they think they can get away with it. Just like those criminals on Persephone you encountered your first day in this space-time had planned for you if not for your quick and decisive action before I arrived."

"I get the point. That doesn't make it right, but fine. But I'm going to say it now, I won't be a party to needless killing."

"Oh, won't be needless darlin', you can bet any decent folk around here won't be cryin' any tears. But if you don't believe me, feel free to tag 'long and see for yourself Ponytails." With that, Mal nodded for Zoe to go ahead and get her armed and armored up before hopping in the mule himself.

Being tossed an armor vest, Korra slipped it on underneath her shirt before strapping on the knife and gun belt. She had no intention of using the gun, but Korra wasn't about to say no either with Zoe standing over her.

Once they were ready to depart, Mal, River, Zoe, and Korra soon left the ship behind, traveling through verdant green hills and patches of rocky terrain. It was certainly a far sight better than Shadow had been, even with the plumes of smoke in the distance that emanated from mining facilities, according to River. Ares was a prosperous mining planet, rich in ore that the Alliance used across the core planets and in their shipbuilding. But that very prosperity also attracted the worst kinds of people, who were all too keen in taking advantage of the minimal security presence that were stationed in the mines and not the nearby towns themselves, where they were actually needed.

"I reckon we'll stop in town, talk with the local folk, get the lay of the land 'fore we take on these bungers." Mal glanced over at Korra for a moment, an amused twitch at the corner of his mouth. "You know, a thought occurs to me. Korra here sorely needs a proper education on the way of things. I say we let her handle this job, see how well she does."

"Our chances of success just dropped significantly." River deadpanned, drawing an irritated glare from Korra while Zoe rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Excuse me?!" Korra turned to stare at the dark haired Reader sitting next to her in the rear of the mule. "You know what, fine, I accept your idiotic little challenge." She said after throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

"Sir, your head been checked by Simon lately? Because you still have a problem with your brain being missing. Might want to look into it."

"Oh you worry too much Zoe. Kid wants to try her hand at our various frowned upon business enterprises, try to find her higher path and all that, I say we let her. Fair warnin' though, when she gets herself in over her head, I ain't dashin' to no rescue. Might take my sweet time."

"I thought you were supposed to be all protective of your crew, being _the captain_." Korra growled in response, her blue eyes burning holes in the back of Mal's head.

"Guess you have a lot to learn Ponytails. You ain't crew till I says otherwise." Mal countered, grinning over his shoulder as he pulled into the small town about the same time. Hopping out of the mule, Mal shot her a grin as he stepped aside and gestured for her to lead the way. "Don't mean I won't let ya fumble too much though, seein' as you're still new to this here 'verse and all."

Gazing at the rundown clapboard buildings, none of them higher than two stories, and many in dire need of repair, or a bulldozer, they didn't have to wait long to meet the local 'welcoming committee'. A grizzled old man with piercing brown eyes was the first to take notice of them as he spat brown sludge in the dirt and ambled on over to them. "You the off world folk that was called in?"

Mal gave Korra a nudge when it became apparent he was waiting for her to speak up. "Um, that's us alright." Korra stated, sounding less than awe inspiring, much to Mal's amusement. She gritted her teeth but did her best to ignore him as she addressed the man before her. "You saw the Firefly that came down? That was our ship, so unless there's another ship on the edge of town, you're looking at the right people. Who are you?"

"Lookin' at dead folk if you're the best they got girl. Name's Marston, town ombudsman, figure you won't be needin' a first name." The old man spat out another disgusting wad of brown slime on the ground by Korra's feet before he pulled out a small box of more of the same stuff, sticking a small cube of the it into his mouth which he promptly started to chew. "Got about five dozen families on this spit of land, all of 'em were hoping to get a good night's sleep, but I'll have to tell 'em not to hold their breaths since I figure you'll be dead by morning. But I've been wrong before. You lot might surprise me yet."

"Sir, you don't need to worry." Korra gestured towards their small group with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "We'll take care of these raiders. If not, you'll get to keep our ship."

River snickered, Zoe looked ready to blow a gasket, while Mal was understandably thunderstruck by this unexpected twist. "Huh? Wait, what?!"

The old man raised one bushy eyebrow and grinned widely at the offer. "Got yerself a deal. I like ya, got spunk kid, but that ain't gonna stop a bullet. 'Long as you and your band a' heroes here plan to gun down those no good dirty bushwackers anyhow, I'd be obliged if you could bring our people back with ya. Some of 'em at least, I ain't askin' for a miracle. Be willin' to pay double the agreed terms for your trouble.

"How many have been taken?" Korra asked, all business, once again surprising Mal and the others behind her at this sudden shift. They hadn't seen her so confident save for when she was going through her practice drills in the hold, or sparring with River.

"'Bout dozen, few of 'em no older than ten. Their Da Jeh Da's way of deterin' us from goin' after them in their little hidey holes or retaliatin' anytime they come rollin' through town. They hide up in the hills, so they ain't exactly easy to miss when they start coming down to cause all manner of ruckus." The old man pointed to a distant series of hills and rocks that were on the west side of the ramshackle town. "Kick up 'lotta dust since they ride horses mostly, draggin' wagons behind a few of 'em. Easier to carry out anythin' they like."

"We'll bring your people home, I promise." Korra stridently vowed, much to the surprise of everyone around her, including a heavily jaded Marston.

"Hearin' a lot of talkin', but you almost sound convincin'." Marston said as he rubbed at his chin, a thoughtful gleam in his brown eyes. "Kinda remind me of my old CO durin' the war. Fought for Independence, woulda followed that gorram woman to Hell and back. Almost did, 'cept she pushed me outta the way of a shell. Not without cost mind ya." He patted his left leg before he moved on. "Almost wish she hadn't, Bonnie woulda been a mite handier to have round here these days."

"Don't give yourself enough credit." River stated softly, drawing Marston's gaze to her like he was looking through a sniper's scope. She returned his focused, intense gaze with her own, and was unsurprised when he couldn't maintain it. Few people could stare long into her eyes without feeling unnerved. "You've done better than you realize. These people look to you, because you didn't leave them to rot as so many others might have."

"Yeah, suppose so. Didn't stop that Bu Hui Hen De Puo Fu from taking their mothers and daughters though." Marston muttered angrily in response.

"They won't get to run wild anymore. Mal, Zoe, River, let's go see what we can do." Korra commanded, earning her two slightly surprised looks from the two veterans once again at this unexpected shift in her personality.

Taking a walk down the street, Mal was the first to break the silence that had settled over their little group. "Gotta say, I'm impressed, 'cept with the part where you offered up my gorram ship. I don't recall us discussin' that particular matter."

"If we end up dead, we won't be around to worry about it." Korra countered tersely before turning to the captain. "I still don't like the idea of killing these raiders, but I can't stand by and let people like that run rampant either. It goes against everything I trained for."

"Well ain't this just great! Got us a martyr in trainin'. Ever think not all of us might get dead. What 'bout Emma, Kaylee, hell Simon, this job goes sideways I'm gonna have to ruin my already not so grand reputation by backin' out of the deal."

"_You_ wanted me to take charge!" Korra shouted at the scoundrel.

"She has a point sir." Zoe replied coldly, torn between knocking their heads together or walking away from the pair.

"Team Avatar can not fail." River stated, to blank stares from Mal and Zoe and a slight frown from Korra.

Korra turned to face River's not at all unsettling stare. "Please don't say that again. Besides….Team Avatar isn't here. It's just me." She sadly finished and looked away from the psychic.

"Mako, Bolin, Naga, and Asami are closer than you think." River countered, and pointed to Korra's chest before walking away, silent as a ghost.

Mal cocked his head to the side, an all too familiar smirk pulling at his lips. "Mako huh? She an interestin' gal?"

"Mako is my boyfriend, _captain_." Korra growled, not amused with Malcolm's eternally smug banter.

"Sounds like a girl's name to me kiddo." Mal chuckled before taking a step further down the road, his eyes sweeping very every square inch of the town in front of him. "Zoe, think I could persuade ya to take up roost on that balcony above the saloon by chance?" He asked, his mind at work on how best to handle the raiders the next time they rode into town.

"Might be better if I take position up in that steeple sir." Zoe nodded towards an old fashioned white clapboard church and it's open belltower. "You can have the saloon."

"And miss out on all the fun while our fearless leader gets herself riddled full o' holes? Nah, rather have Jayne up on the saloon, that way I can clean up the mess from down here. Better shot up close anyhow."

"Your _fearless leader's _right here you know." Korra growled back, but nodded her head as she looked around and spotted several old, partially rotted wagons and a dozen crates stacked against a nearby building. "We could use that junk to make ourselves some barricades. Give us more cover where we need it, maybe even block off some of the side streets and force them down the main road."

"By your command, your Ponytailness." Mal stated with a smartass little bow. It was a good plan, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"There's something else to consider." Korra said, ignoring Mal, as she looked to the people themselves, a plan of her own forming behind her blue eyes. "Even if we get rid of these raiders, what's to stop the next group from swooping in the moment these ones are gone?"

"What are you thinking?" Zoe asked, curious to see where Korra was planning to go with this line of thought.

Korra gestured to the town at large. "I'm thinking we need to get these people into fighting shape. Or at least able to shoot one of your guns and actually hit something."

"Huh, that ain't half bad." Mal, pleasantly surprised by Korra's insight, and gave the girl a nod of approval. He'd give her a little acknowledgment at least. "Might take a while, gettin' these folk able to defend them and theirs, but it could be done. They certainly have reason enough to hate bein' pushed around. Be worth it if we can wrangle more coin out of this."

Korra was less than pleased by Mal's apparent greed. "We're here to help these people, not take everything they have left."

"Ah Hell, there's that starry eyed hero again. And here I thought you were makin' some mighty fine progress too." Mal lost his goofy grin when he turned to face Korra head on. "You've seen how hard life is for me and mine, and I know you ain't dumb Korra. Can't get by on generosity." He stated, leaving no room for further argument on the subject, or so he thought.

"So you're perfectly alright with being almost as bad as the raiders we've been hired to take down? You'd fit right at home with the Triple Threats Triad in Republic City." Korra spat out in obvious disgust.

Even with her superior training, Korra never saw the haymaker coming until she was already on her back, her jaw aching from where Mal's fist had smashed into it. "Let me make somethin' _perfectly _clear for you since I have your attention now. I ain't alright with takin' from folk less fortunate than me, but I don't got a lotta choice if I want to keep my crew together, let alone my ship. I seem to recall havin' this conversation, or one very similar, with you once already, and I don't like repeatin' myself. Next time, you're off my boat, don't rightly care where that happens to be."

Korra said nothing as she pushed herself off the dirt road and stomped off. Zoe merely shook her head at Mal before going after Korra, leaving River and the captain behind.

You're such a boob." River grumbled, but held up a hand before Mal could turn his ire on her next. "But she'll figure out you're right when we're done here."

"Don't care what she does or doesn't learn, long as we get paid. Come on, let's head back and get Jayne and Iris. I got a job in mind for you and Baldy."

River nodded her head, already knowing what Mal had planned, but she wasn't content to leave things alone as she swung the conversation back to Korra. "You care, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to make her feel welcome at all."

"You're beginnin' to wear on my last nerve Little Albatross."

"I haven't gotten started."


	6. Bendin' The Law A Lot Part 2

**Chapter 6: Bendin' The Law A Lot Part 2**

"This seat taken?" Korra only shrugged as she stared at the contents of her glass, giving Zoe a quick nod before the older woman sat down across from her at the table. The barkeep had been nice enough to throw her a bunch of ice wrapped in a dirty rag, which Korra had pressed against her sore jaw the moment she sat down. That was a distant thought for Korra though when Zoe raised an eyebrow at the fresh bruise. "Shouldn't have kept on pokin' the Captain like that. Must be your lucky day, considering he didn't shoot you."

Korra raised her eyebrows but said nothing at first. The problem was Zoe was right, but Korra couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life. Taking a breath, the Avatar groaned as she moved the ice wrapped rag against her sore jaw. "Funny thing is Zoe, I can't find a way to argue with his twisted logic." Korra sighed, took a sip from her glass, and leaned back in her seat to meet Zoe's gaze. "I'm not stupid, I get where he's coming from, I just wish there was another way that didn't have us profiting off of someone else's misery."

"Can't say I blame ya, but this is what we do." Zoe stated, and nodded her head in thanks when someone sat down another glass in front of her. "We make what money we can so we can keep on flyin'. Might not be the best way, but we don't have a lotta choice with the way things are."

Korra sighed and slumped in her chair, her gaze downcast. "Your '_verse _is so out of balance, it's amazing there's anything out here."

"Says something about us though doesn't it? No matter how bad things get, we find a way to keep going." Zoe replied firmly before her brown eyes softened somewhat. "Still, despite his faults, the captain has the best interests of his crew at heart. He does what he has to to keep us going, even if not all of us agree with his way of doing things."

"I know….it's just hard. Service and sacrifice is all I know." With another sigh, Korra tossed her rag down on the table as well as a few of the crumpled bills that passed for money in this place.

"Even though you're just as stubborn in your own way." Zoe said, and managed a small smirk before she finished the contents of her glass about the same time Korra did.

Pushing her chair away, Korra quietly muttered to herself. "Come on, we need to get ready. Is Mal back yet? And where are Iris and River? I haven't seen them since he left."

She hadn't said a word to the man as he climbed back on the mule and flew off, not bothering to give her a second glance. Korra hoped to never again see that cold, murderous look in Malcolm's eyes. Even Amon hadn't looked ready to outright kill her when he had taken her Bending away. Destroy her mind, spirit, and soul perhaps, but not shoot her down in the street like an elephant rat.

Korra sighed mentally when she heard Mal's amused tone right behind her. "Last I checked I was plannin' with Marston and some of the locals 'fore I sent Zoe in here to drag your mopey muscled behind back into daylight."

"Funny sir, you never showed any talent for stealth during the war." Zoe said, and crossed her arms as she looked over Korra's head.

"Wasn't wavin' my arms and shoutin', now was I?" Mal countered, grinning as he waved her and Korra out of the saloon before taking point.

"Or shootin' an oversized machine gun every which way but anywhere useful. Sir."

Mal had the decency to look offended when he looked over his shoulder at his First Mate as they started down the street towards Marston's office. "We came outta it alright though didn't we?"

"There are several schools of thought on the subject sir." Zoe countered, and let her lips pull up into a subtle smirk when Mal's offended look deepened.

"This is yet another sign of your tragic space dementia."

"How are you two _not _married?" Korra muttered, and flinched when both Zoe and Mal shot her a seething glare, as if she had instead suggested that all Browncoats were nothing but a bunch of spoiled piss pots. "What? You're so utterly devoted to each other it's almost sickening."

"You actually aren't the first to say somethin' along those lines Ponytails, but let me clear this up for ya. Zoe and I might have a rather complicated history, but it's not one which'd constitute the whole marriage, hundreds of fat children, livin' till we're ninety thing. We're just a couple of ol' war buddies is all."

"Oh come on! I seen you two look at each other, you never... shared a bunk during the war, before Zoe met Wash?" Korra retorted with a massive grin.

"Fine. You caught us. I have shared my bunk with Zoe many, many times." Mal said with a slump of his shoulders, even as his lips pulled up into his trademark grin.

"Best sleep I ever had sir." Zoe purred, noticing the twitch at the corner of Malcolm' mouth.

Korra could only stare at them with wide, dumbfounded blue eyes. "Wait...really? I mean, I'm not surprised but... that just seems so _wrong_ somehow."

"Oh we shared a bunk alright, I never said we didn't." Mal replied with a grin of his own. "You just assumed there was more sharin' goin' on than there was darlin'."

Zoe laughed and shook her head at the memory. "We did spoon that one time sir, purely for warmth though. Didn't want the Captain freezin' to death just to save his manly ego."

"Was a mite interestin' though. We ever find need of such drastic measures again, _I'm _the big spoon next time." Mal declared, making it clear he was being completely serious.

Korra could only stare at the two with her jaw hanging to her feet. She couldn't decide which was worse, the fact they had tricked her or the fact they honestly _were _just old war buddies and had never moved beyond that. "I'm so confused right now. Gonna try and save a town now. Go not sleep together or something."

"I think you broke her sir."

"I think you might be right Zoe. Had to happen sooner or later I suppose." Mal chimed in, his grin all but audible in his voice.

"I'm fine! Just stop talking about this!" Korra growled at the pair, hoping they'd steer the conversation to something far less embarrassing.

Mal had to grin at the down right cruel look in Zoe's deep brown eyes. Not to mention the devilish smirk on her lips. "On second thought, take me sir take me hard."

"Right here in the street huh? Well, gonna be some nasty chaffin', but man's gotta do what a ma-"

"I'm not listening!" Korra shouted over her shoulder as she stomped away. The sooner they took care of the raiders and put this town behind them, the better. Maybe she'd even have her sanity intact by the time they left Ares. Spirits she seriously hoped so, because as it stood now, Korra wasn't so sure she'd be able to pull that off with Mal laughing incessantly at her expense.

"Darn. Oh well, this time next year Zoe?"

"I'll mark my calendar sir."

Jayne ambled up to them at last just as they passed by one of the better looking buildings in the ramshackle town. From the look of the gun hand, he had brought half of _Serenity's _armory with him. "Ya'll done wasting time? Can't rightly whip these ruttin' sheep into shape _and _build a half decent killin' field on ma own."

"Oh of course, _now_ he wants to work." Korra grumbled to herself before glaring at the rogue of a captain she was stuck with.

"I hear there's alotta coin comin' our way, plus I already got myself a grateful like gal lined up for a nice pre slaughterin' hump." Rolling a large wooden barrel across the street, Jayne couldn't keep the satisfied smirk off his face. "Today is a good day."

"In what past life did I do anything to deserve this?" Korra asked herself even as she walked towards the nearby crates and wagons she had pointed out earlier before easily lifting one of the boxes in her arms.

"Bein' this is Jayne we're talkin' 'bout, that's probably past _lives_. Man is a walkin' karma black hole." Mal stated on his way to help prepare their improved roadblocks.

"Because one Jayne wasn't bad enough, I get cursed with this latest version? Great." Korra grumbled and sighed heavily in exasperation. Today was just getting worse by the second.

"Hey!" Jayne shouted indignantly. "I ain't that bad once ya get to know me! Sort of. When I ain't been drinkin' too much."

"Yeah. You ever ask him about Mattie and his Ma? Oh! Speakin' a which, Jayne, you gotta wear that cunnin' bright orange head gear a' yours. That alone will scare half of 'em off when they see ya."

"Hi-larious." Jayne growled back at Mal's attempt at humor as he slammed his latest armload into the center of the road. Kicking the wagon bed over he had dropped unceremoniously onto the dirt, he nodded his thanks when Korra moved a couple of boxes against the overturned wagon, propping it up. "Not bad. Might just get through this after all."

Korra managed to give Jayne an honest smile, something unthinkable only a few days ago. "Did you block up the side alleys?"

"What do I look like girl? Some gorram jackass?"

"So yes?" She snarked back.

Jayne rolled his eyes and glared down at Korra before a sly grin started to appear on his face. "I will get right on that after I go get those tea and dumplin's for ya. I ain't superhuman like some folk."

Tempted to pound the sarcastic man into the ground, but not being quite that big of a hypocrite, Korra turned to Mal next. "Where are Iris and Ri-"

"Sent 'em on a job. They'll be about once the shootin' starts." Mal stated, making it clear he didn't want it getting out that they were likely knee deep in enemy territory by now. Besides, some of the people on the street were giving the crew odd looks, and he wasn't sure if any of them were working with the raiders. Chances were, if the leader had any kind of tactical thinking, they'd have spies among the crowd. It's what he'd do.

Korra only nodded when she caught the look Mal threw her way before she returned to the task at hand. "Well let's hope we won't need them too soon."

"Oh, I figure we'll manage on our own for a while. Got a surprise for ya." Mal started towards the mule, not bothering to see if Korra had followed. "Wise man I knew once said... 'Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don't you think?'"

"Let me guess. Some soldier you knew in the war?"

"Nope. Jayne. Man is a well of useful tidbits."

"_Okay_, what does that have to do with me and whatever you're getting at?" Korra asked, her curiosity piqued at this sudden show of generosity.

With a flourish, Mal pulled a small tarp off the back of the vehicle. "Figured best to pull out all the stops seeing as we should make 'nough outta this to restock."

"What are those little round things? And why do you have so many of them?"

"You don't have grenades where you're from? Girl you are missin' out on a good bit of fun." Mal grabbed one of the small devices and tossed it back and forth, smirking when Korra jumped back after he casually threw the grenade at her. She caught it more on instinct than any conscious effort on her part, further amusing Malcolm. "Helps if you pull the pin out, 'fore you throw one of those."

"So what….they explode when you pull the pin?"

"Catchin' on quick like always. Makes a mighty fine mess o' folks, and they won't be getting back up if you land one anywhere near 'em."

"Considering I have an issue with the idea of shooting people, you want me to blow someone up instead? Zoe's right, you have a problem with your brain being missing." Korra stated before carefully setting the grenade back into the box where Mal had grabbed it from.

"Thought you might say that, so I had Jayne put together somethin' just for you." Mal dug into the rear hatch and bought out a bandolier full of cylindrical objects. "Non-lethal variety. Makes a really loud bang and flash of light, but no messy bits to worry 'bout afterward. Few with a green stripe will let out a big ol cloud of smoke if you need cover in a hurry. Best not to confuse them.

"Equalists used something similar a few times. They had goggles that allowed them to see through their smoke, which is about the only explanation as to how they pummeled Mako and me while we fumbled around blind." Despite the bad memories associated with such grenades, Korra was slightly impressed and grateful Mal had taken her feelings on killing into consideration at all. She accepted the bandolier of flash and smoke grenades with a nod of thanks. "Just when I thought I had you figured out."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Inara's said that a time or two." Mal finally handed her a gun belt and lever action rifle. "But, you _are _going to learn how to shoot, peaceful nature aside. Figure since we have the time, might get ya a little practice in. Because if someone tries to kill you, I expect you to be able to try to kill 'em right back." At Korra's frown, Mal shoved the belt at her. "Only if you _have to_. That civil enough for ya?"

"I don't plan to kill _anyone _if I can help it." Korra retorted hotly, still not thrilled with the idea of using a gun for _any _reason.

"What's planned and what happens usually ain't that similar darlin'."

Korra sighed, knowing she was fighting a lost cause. That didn't stop her from trying though. "I know you're worried Mal, but I'm not like you and Zoe, or Jayne. I've yet to be pushed into a situation where I had to...cross that line." Despite her hesitation, Korra still accepted the gun belt and strapped it around her waist. She didn't want to use it, but she knew that she was going to need every advantage she could get her hands on.

"Well, I am truly touched by your belief in the sanctity of life." Mal said with a mock solemn look, before grabbing a few stray cans and jars, and setting them against the nearest convenient back drop a short ways down the street. "Now pay attention, gonna show you how to shoot a man 'tween the eyes at thirty paces."

With a another sigh, Korra resigned herself to at least humoring Mal's noble intentions, even if what he was planning to show her was not something she planned to use if she could help it. Drawing the pistol on her belt, she let Mal walk her through the proper stance and grip before lining up her target.

"Okay then. First, you always hold it with both hands. You see that little nub of metal at the end of the barrel? That's your iron sight. You line that up with the backsight here..." Mal proceeded to gently nudge the gun in her hands, lining up the two points in front of her eye. "Once you do that, you steady your arm, and take a deep breath." Korra rolled her eyes but otherwise did as Malcolm instructed. "Now hold it. And _gently _squeeze the trigger."

Slowing pressing her finger against the cold metal, Korra jumped as the pistol bucked in her hands. Her shot went wide, slamming into the wall just to the right of her target. "You could have warned me!" She shouted once she had recovered from the initial shock.

"Oh, _right_. You have to brace for the recoil." Mal informed her with a knowing grin. "Line up your sight again."

"_Fine_..." Korra aimed for a small broken piece of glass that Mal had propped on a tree branch. Mal's hand brushed against her own, gently nudging her aim a little to the right. Prepared for the recoil, Korra took a breath and squeezed the trigger, and was surprised when she hit her target. The approving gleam in Mal's eyes was strangely satisfying to the Avatar, despite her misgivings.

"Nicely done for a virgin... I mean first timer." Mal's smug grin said it all as he caught Korra's startled expression before she could recompose herself. "'Course, no one's gonna just stand there and let ya take your time darlin'. You gotta learn to shoot slow in a hurry. Fire a few more rounds, see if you can pick up the pace a bit."

"You learn how to shoot like this?" Korra asked, before taking aim again and lining up a small soup can.

Mal waited until she had fired, and missed, before he answered her question. "That I did. With my Ma as a matter of fact. 'Cept later I was learnin' how to survive by puttin' my enemy down 'fore they did the same to me and mine. That's the part you seem to not be comprehending." He only nodded his head towards the targets when she started to turn to look at him. "Livin' on Shadow wasn't all cattle herdin' and rainbows Ponytails. We had the same problem these folks have crop up from time to time. People lookin' to make off with our herds, make a quick buck by robbin' us blind. My Ma, for all her faults and lettin' the farm hands take more of an interest in me than she did, did her part when it came to defendin' what was hers. Taught me the difference between bein' merciful and being smart. One gets you dead, the other _might_ not get you dead. Might not be what you signed on for, but there's a time and a place to let mercy reign and keepin' yourself alive. This is the latter sort of situation darlin'."

Korra rolled her eyes and sighed heavily for the umpteenth time. "I'm still far better at hand to hand, I don't need to shoot a man in the back if I can knock him out first."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say going by the look in Mal's cold blue eyes. "Oh. Okay then." Mal calmly walked away, only to untie a line from a nearby tree and return with a mangy dog by his side moments later. "So, I'm one of these cold hearted bungers, and I got ma self this adorable little...let's say little girl." Mal picked up the dog in his arms and walked away several paces only to turn and face Korra. She gasped when she saw he had pulled his pistol and pressed it against the panting dog's head. "Show me how ya gonna stop him with your fancy martial arts 'fore he blows this little girl's brains all over the dirt. Or he gets bored of waitin' and just shoots a hole clean through your pretty face. You got three seconds Ponytails."

"I am _not_ shooting at you!" Korra shouted, stunned at what Mal was doing. There was no way she could fire on him. "You're insane!"

"I surely am. Three!" Mal shouted back and shot over her shoulder, forcing Korra to duck in terror. "You're hesitatin'! That'll get you and anyone round ya killed sure as the suns set. Two!" He fired again, and this time, she swore she felt the bullet pass right by her cheek. "Best pull that trigger or the next one's goin' through an eye! One!"

Terrified, a shaking Korra fired on instinct, before she registered the quiet 'click' from her pistol after pulling the trigger several times in her panic. Mal had since set the mangy pup down and walked the short distance between them before gently pulling the gun from her sweat covered hand.

"Congrats, you just saved your own gorram hide. Easy there, you're alright, take a breath. Made sure you were a few rounds short of a full clip."

Still shaking, Korra glanced up at him with a look a utter betrayal. "You were going to kill me. Why?"

"Only had the two rounds." Mal tossed her his pistol, and gestured towards the clip release. "Had to make ya believe I meant you harm. I'd have dropped the clip from my gun first, 'for putting lead in that pretty head o' yours kiddo. If it makes ya feel better, I was about as of a nervous wreck as you are when I first fired a gun. Even worse the first time I had to fire on a man." Mal sighed and almost looked guilty when he gently cupped her chin in his hand. "You did better than me, Korra. Think I wet my tight pants first time I killed a fella who meant to do the same to me."

Korra glanced at the empty breach of Mal's pistol before angrily tossing it and the empty clip to the dirt. "I can't believe you did that to me..."

"Better me than someone who really _did _want to end you." Mal admitted, as he bent over to retrieve the pistol and clip. "I admire your passion in wantin' to protect and serve folk, but that don't work so well out here Korra. This 'verse isn't kind to decent people. It's a hard lesson, but as much as we might butt heads, I'd rather you live to see tomorrow."

Zoe chose then to speak up, having cautiously watched the scene play out from close by. "Hello sir, Korra." What she didn't say was that she had been slightly surprised by this side of Mal. She was half tempted to give him a piece of her mind for traumatizing Korra as he had, but the only thing stopping her was the fact she agreed with him to some extent. "You did good."

"Yeah, right. If this was real, I'd be dead, along with...this very furry little girl." Korra muttered as she bent over to pet the mangy mutt, letting it lick her face.

"Half the battle is pulling the trigger. Sir, why don't you keep Jayne from doin' anythin' more stupid than usual?" Mal only nodded his head before he walked away, getting the less than subtle hint that Zoe wanted time alone with Korra. He had done enough damage anyway.

Whatever strength she had in her legs failed her, but Korra had found a place to sit down by the time her knees buckled once her adrenaline wore off. "He almost _shot _me!"

"Trust me, if he had wanted to hit you, wouldn't have missed. I've seen him draw and fire in the blink of an eye and still hit his man. With that same man holding River hostage with a gun to her head. Never even broke his stride as he charged up the ramp." The note of pride in Zoe's voice wasn't hard to miss.

"He's completely insane." Korra muttered quietly. She hardly noticed the small pup whining at her.

"Can't really argue with ya on that particular point. But you should know there's a way to his madness, so to speak. He always does somethin' for a good reason. Scared you to death to try and keep you safe once things get bad, and they will get bad soon enough." Zoe reached into her pocket and extracted a handful of shells, grabbed the rifle Mal had given Korra and loaded it. "Get yourself together, we ain't done. You have time to sit there and play with your new best friend, you have time to practice."

Korra jerked her head up in shock at that, half tempted to shoo the dog away before Zoe came up with any ideas. "What?! Please tell me you aren't going to make me shoot an apple off it's head or something!"

Thankfully, Zoe had something else in mind. "I ain't that cruel. But we are going to keep you practicing until you get it right."

"I'm done." With that, Korra defiantly started to walk away, the yapping pooch following after her.

"Excuse me? I don't think I was askin'." Zoe stated softly, cold steel all too easily heard in her voice as she chambered a round before putting the barrel against her right shoulder.

Something in Zoe's gaze made Korra pause mid step as she glanced over her shoulder. She could handle Mal's angry stares or Zoe's general intimidating nature, but what chilled her to the core was the look of crushed disappointment in Zoe's brown gaze. It was the same gaze that had caused her to wake screaming that horrible nightmare, and a sweaty panting mess more than a few nights besides. "Alright….just, don't expect me to enjoy it." Korra said at last before standing to her feet and taking the rifle when Zoe held it out to her.

"I'd be worried if you did." Zoe replied before nodding to the assorted targets Mal had set up earlier. "Some people develop a taste for killing. You ain't one of them."

"Fine, let's just get this over with." With a sigh of resignation, Korra aimed down the weapons sights, realizing that they were just an elongated version of what Mal had already shown her. Taking a deep breath, Korra held it in before applying the slightest pressure to the trigger.

"Rifle has a bit more kick than a pistol. You'll want to brace it tight against your shoulder before you pull that trigger, or you could break something when the recoil hits."

"Yes mother." Korra snarked, even as she tucked the stock snug against her. It slammed into her a split second later, leaving her with a slightly sore shoulder. "Ow." Despite the pain, she had managed to hit the empty soup can she'd been aiming at earlier.

"Not bad, but you have to press it against you a lot harder than that. Otherwise Inara's gonna be rubbing you down with ice and tea leaves. Not that you'd probably mind much."

"Please tell me you didn't just say that." Korra stammered out as her cheeks turned bright red.

"I see you actually hit something in the next minute, I might not have." Zoe chuckled and crossed her arms before cocking her hip to the side.

Korra frantically tried to figure out the lever action mechanism before Zoe sighed and demonstrated it for her with one fluid motion. To her credit, Korra was a quick study, and was able to chamber the next round with minimal effort. Roughly forty-seven seconds and seven rounds later, she finally hit a poor defenseless empty soda can.

"And with a few ticks to spare. Well, least now I know how to motivate you."

"Scaring me to death or embarrassing me. I can't decide which is worse." Korra muttered, her tongue all but dripping sarcasm.

"If you'd rather use an auto-bow, I'm sure I could get Inara to-"

"I'm good." Korra growled, rubbing at her sore shoulder while grabbing another handful of rounds from Zoe. Seven shots later, five of which were hits, she had to set the rifle down to give her shoulder a chance to stop aching.

Zoe simply nodded her approval of her handiwork as she watched Korra rub at her bruised shoulder. "It'll get tougher, more you practice. Same like any other discipline, it justs takes time and continued use." Zoe walked over to the mule and came back with some odd type of sling over her shoulder, tossing another to Korra. "Might want to put that on now."

Korra blinked her blue eyes when she realized what it was Zoe had handed her. "You had a shoulder guard this whole time and only hand me one now?"

"You wouldn't have had respect for the weapon in your hands if I had given it to you sooner." Zoe deadpanned in reply.

"I...guess that makes sense." Korra admitted before she strapped it onto her sore shoulder. Once it was secure, she rolled her arm experimentally and was happy to note she didn't lose any freedom of movement even with the pad in place. "So what now?"

"You shoot until I think you could survive five minutes in combat on your own. Here's a hint, better get started, only got a few more hours of light."

"Yes ma'am." Korra grumbled, but got to her feet despite her desire to be anywhere else. Taking back the rifle, they spent the rest of the afternoon going through Zoe's seemingly endless supply of bullets. By the time they were done, Korra was sure of two things. One, that her shoulder would never be the same again after this, even with the pad having taken the worst of the recoil. And two, that she was actually dreading going up against the raiders, she was actually dreading going into a fight. That was something she never thought she'd consider, but that was the truth of the matter.

A low rumble quickly caught their attention as both women turned to see Iris driving an old battered all terrain vehicle, with River not far behind, driving a horse drawn open wagon with every hostage safely tucked away in the back. "We have until dawn." River stated as she hopped down from the driver's seat before running a hand across the horse's flank. "They will discover our escape long before then, but they will need time to gather their men for an attack. And to undo the creative damage we did on our way out."

"There are still many raiders out in the hills. We killed four who were guarding the women, but there are still over two dozen ready to descend on the town." Iris said in turn, dusted off a speck of dirt from her bodysuit, and turned to Zoe and Korra.

"Well now, you two don't do anything half assed do you? Nice work, both of ya." A grinning Malcolm said as he ran up to the wagon, with Jayne only a few steps behind. "Let's get these folk unloaded and back with their families." Mal turned to grab Jayne, roughly tugging him close before lowering his voice. "I usually don't care what you do with a willin' girl, but you touch any of _these _women folk, you won't have to worry 'bout female companionship ever again. Dohn-luh-mah?"

"Crystal. Sheesh Mal, I ain't half that desperate... or cruel." Jayne muttered, having caught on to the same thing Mal had the moment he laid eyes on a few of the women in the wagon.

Korra saw the empty, haunted look in a few of the faces among the crowd Iris and River had gotten out of the raiders' hideout. She was about to say something to Mal and Jayne, but the captain beat her to the punch as he subtly nudged Jayne back a bit while nodding to her and Zoe. "I realize you folks have been through a lot 'fore my crew were able to get you out of that hellhole. Just know that you're back home where you rightfully belong."

"Mal, Imma go get Inara and Simon, figure they could use the help." Jayne said, much to Korra's surprise.

"Do it. From the sound of it, we don't have 'lotta time to dilly dally." Mal said before he glanced at the pair of psychics helping a mother and daughter climb off the wagon. "Tell Kaylee to take _Serenity _into orbit for the time bein'. No need to worry about these bastards flankin' us that way." That and it'd keep his ship, Kaylee, and Emma out of harm's way in the process.

"You got it Mal." With a strangely somber nod, Jayne took off at a clip and was on the mule and headed for home less than a minute later.

With three less things to worry over, Mal turned his attention to the various town's folk around them. Most helped with the women, some just stood around and watched. "Alright, listen up! We got us some imminent violence headed your way. Got it from a reliable source we have until dawn before those that have been harassing this town show up to take back... their _property_." Mal spat out, trying to ignore the mix of terrified, dumbfounded, and grateful looks cast his way. "Way I figure it, you have only a few options open. You can fight, you can die, or you can run and hope they don't catch up with ya."

One of the men in the crowd wasn't so convinced by Mal's obvious determination or willingness to take on their oppressors. Korra didn't miss the way the captain's gaze narrowed and seemed to hone in on the protestor, and wondered what he was thinking. "You're crazy mister. We can't fight, and if we run, they'll ride us down and kill every last one of us!"

"Guess you better get busy dying then, 'cause me and mine were called here to fight your battle. And I don't plan on walkin' away. Now who's with me?!" Mal was disappointed when all he got in response was more frightened shouting from the naysayer.

"You can't trust this man! He's only in it for the coin! I say we try and deal with 'em, give 'em what they want, maybe they'll spare some-"

The crack of a gunshot cut the man short, as did the bullet hole between his eyes. Korra could only look on in horror as the man dropped to the ground in front of Mal, her face the picture of pure, horrified shock.

As Mal holstered his still smoking pistol, he turned back to the crowd at large. "You try and make deals with a bunch of killers, all of you are going to end up just as dead as him." Mal glanced down at the body at his feet pointing to the man for emphasis. "They will come in here and take _all _of your women folk, children, and anything of use before putting a bullet to each and every one of you. The fact they haven't already just means they were hopin' to bleed ya slow, but now that we've stepped in, they'll come at this town with a fury. So, either you can help us defend what's yours, or get your gorram hides out of the ruttin' way."

Still staring unblinkingly at the man Malcolm had gunned down without so much as batting an eyelash, Korra could only stutter in shock while the crowd started to disperse to do whatever they could to prepare for what was coming. "How...c-could you?!"

Whatever his faults, and the man had many, he certainly knew how to get people moving as he eyed the last of the stragglers. Mal frowned, the cold fury in his eyes softening somewhat. "I ain't got the time to baby you now. Best get out of my way Korra."

Before Korra could protest further, Zoe put a hand on her shoulder and bodily pulled her out of Mal's path. "Just let it go." The older woman said.

Mal had since started to address anyone who was willing to listen to his instructions. "Anyone who can hold a rifle, I want you to arm up best you can and form a perimeter. I want snipers up on every rooftop if we got enough folk, otherwise close range ordinance best stick to cover on the ground or in your homes where these bungers are likely to ride through with our roadblocks in place. Everyone else, feel free to board up every window, every crack, or hole. Let's not give these arrogant ta ma duh any more advantage than they got already."

"You heard the man." Marston yelled from the back of the crowd, which parted the moment he stepped forward. "You want this nightmare to finally end don't ya? Then we all need to do our part. Shoulda done had you in fightin' shape long ago, but like many of you, I got complacent and soft after the war ended. Well no more, tomorrow we fight or we die." Whether it was their respect for Marston or their fear of Malcolm, the raw panic and terror that had permeated the crowd started to change. It became focused, almost determined to see the attacks ended once and for all. And perhaps, just a bit hopeful that they could actually win the day. "What's your plan then Captain?"

"My plan? My plan is to rain fiery merciless hell down on the folk who took your kin. Who have terrorized this decent town for far too long."

"Mighty fine plan." Marston replied with a nod and just the hint of a grin. "Why do I get the feeling that little show you put on with your young charge was to see how I'd react?" The old man asked once the crowd went to their assigned chores with a will.

Mal managed a small grin in reply before he shrugged. "Wasn't actually a plan on my part. Had a minor disagreement and needed to teach a hard lesson."

"Ah." Marston nodded as understanding hit before he turned to look at still white faced Korra. "I take it she's new to us less civilized types, Core girl?"

"You could say that." Mal replied cryptically, but it wasn't too far off the mark.

"Then I can't blame her for wondering what type of crowd she's fallen in with. You're a tough customer captain, but I think you might just be the kick in the teeth this town needs. And her if you've taken her under your protection as I suspect you have."

"Guess that fancy office 'o yours and the job title wasn't too far off the mark for you old timer." Mal chuckled but nodded his head as he started towards Korra.

"Might have to stick my foot up some magistrate's ass, but if we're still breathin' tomorrow, things are gunna change around here, one way or another."

"You just be careful with talk like that. Alliance might take offense."

Marston's response was simple. "Let 'em."

"That's the kind o' talk I like to hear." Mal said with a small grin before stopping in front of Korra at last. She didn't meet his gaze save to glare at him from the corner of her eyes. "Listen Ponytails, I know you might not appro-"

Korra didn't let him finish as she pushed him back before rounding on him. "Don't waste your breath. As soon as this is over, I'm gone."

"Suit yourself. Change your mind, you know where we'll be parked come this time tomorrow." Mal said and shrugged just as Korra stomped off.

Zoe wasn't so easily persuaded to let her run off. "Sir... maybe you want to-"

"Girl's made up her gorram mind Zoe, I ain't gonna stop her from walkin' her own path." Zoe only nodded her head, but that didn't stop her from marking Korra's course.

As the town's folk finally got into action bolstering their defenses and boarding up windows, Jayne returned with the others a short while later. Simon was the first to hop off the the transport and ran over to Korra, not even noticing the dull glaze over her eyes as he took in the organized choas around them. "Korra, are there any wounded? Korra...Korra?"

"Simon. I'll handle her. Go." Inara softly commanded and pointed to where she could see Zoe and Mal. The doctor blinked in confusion but slowly nodded his head before walking away, leaving the Companion to catch up with the Avatar. When she did, Inara gently wrapped a hand around the girl's upper arm and pulled her to a stop in the middle of the road. "What happened Korra?"

"Leave me alone." The younger girl roughly shrugged off Inara's gentle grasp and stomped off. 'You're just like the rest."

Inara grabbed Korra by the shoulder this time with no intention of letting her go anytime soon. "Korra stop. What. _Happened_."

When their eyes met, the older woman saw the tears that had started to run down her cheeks. Looking into her large misty blue eyes, Inara found the devastated look in Korra's gaze to be far more troubling than her uncontrollable rage. "Malcolm... he- he killed a man as if it was nothing. I've never even seen someone... he didn't even warn him first. He didn't even hesitate."

The pieces fell into place as Inara pulled Korra into her chest. She'd never seen someone die, let alone seen someone be gunned down in the middle of the street right before her eyes. And knowing Mal as well as she did, Inara wasn't surprised that Korra wasn't able to so easily accept what had occurred. "It's going to be alright mei-mei, Malcolm is a hard man, but-"

Korra just as quickly pulled away. Her tears dried up as rage filled her eyes once again. "_But_? But what?! An unarmed man deserved to be shot dead in the street because _he_ thought it was the right thing to do?!"

Inara didn't flinch way at the shift from sorrow to rage. She had expected it, truth be told. "Korra, we live in a harsh, brutal, uncaring world. Maybe it's for the best that you realize that now rather than later."

"I didn't ask to be a part of your world!" She roared, before falling to her knees and slamming her fists into the ground where she remained. "I didn't ask to be here…." Korra took a breath and slowly looked up into Inara's face. "After we help these people, I'm leaving. Aang couldn't have been more wrong about all of you. Anywhere else is better than being stuck with a bunch of killers and criminals."

"Or maybe you're exactly where you need to be." Before Korra could come up with some scathing remark, Inara put a hand under her chin and pulled her to her feet. "When Iris and River returned with those villagers, what did you see? People as lost and afraid as you are. Death would have been a kindness where they were held. The way Mal sees it, anyone who isn't willing to right what was done to those people aren't fit to draw breath. Could he have handled it better? Yes, he _could_ have, _should _have, but look around you, what do you see now?"

Korra tried to jerk out of Inara's grip, only to be spun around towards a group of people, despondent and apathetic hours earlier, now trying to better their lot in life as best they could. Despair, replaced with cautious hope, even if it had come at the hands of a cruel brute, acting just as horrible as those they would soon face.

"It still doesn't make it right…." Korra whispered, but turned to Inara with something close to a semblance of her former self.

"No, it doesn't, and if we lived in a better world such things probably wouldn't happen. But this isn't some 'better' fantasy world Korra, here, our fate is in our hands."

"How do you live with this?" Korra asked after several long moments of silence had fallen between them. She didn't know exactly what she was asking, only that she needed Inara's help in understanding what she'd seen.

"I try to hold on to the good in life, wherever I find it. However fleeting or miniscule it may be compared to the horrors inflicted on the people I've come to call an extended, if eccentric, family." When Inara embraced her a second time, Korra didn't fight her off as she all but melted into the Companion's arms. "No matter how dark the world around you Korra, there is always light, no matter how faint or far."


End file.
